SOLD    BY 

)riental  Esoteric  Center 

1443  Q,  STREET  N.  W. 
WASHINGTON,  D.  c. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


... 


GIFT    OF 


Class 


MR.  P.  JOHNSON 


P.   O.    BOX   413 


POINT  RICHMOND,  CAL. 


^  ^u^c^ 


s 


r  (J 


Letters  from  the  Teacher 

(Of  the  Order  of  The  15) 


Transmitted  by 

RAH  MEA 

Priestess    of    the    Flame 


Edited  by 
F.    HOMER    CURTISS,B.S.,M.D, 

Secretary  of  the  Order 


VOL.   i. 


Published  by 

THE      CURTISS      BOOK      COMPANY 
Denver,  Colorado,  U.  S.  A. 


Y.I, 


ORDER    OF    THE     15 


Copyright, 
by 
F.  HOMER^CURTISS,  M.D. 


KEYSTONE 

PRINTING    V  y    COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


Dedication 

To  that  Great  Teacher 
who  brought  the  Wisdom-Religion 
to  the  Western  World, 
known  on  earth  as 

HELENA    PETROVNA    BLAVATSKY 

this  volume  is  affectionately  dedicated 
by  her  loving  pupils  and  disciples, 

Pyrahmos  and  Rahmea. 


preface 

The  Letters  from  the  Teacher  of  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15, 
in  answer  to  questions  from  pupils,  are  of  such  universal  inter- 
est to  seekers  after  Wisdom  that  we  consider  them  far  too  val- 
uable to  be  confined  merely  to  the  ones  to  whom  they  were  ad- 
dressed, Therefore  we  make  available  extracts  from  the  more 
important  ones. 

With  a  few  exceptions  the  selection  has  been  confined  to 
those  received  during  the  first  six  months  of  the  work  (Janu- 
ary to  June,  1908).  But  even  these  few  cover  a  wide  field  and 
deal  with  a  diversity  of  subjects  not  dealt  with  elsewhere  in 
the  same  frank  and  common-sense  way.  Hence  they  fill  a  dis- 
tinct want  in  occult  literature. 

The  letters  are  genuine  extracts  from  originals  still  in  pos- 
session of  the  Secretary;  but  in  many  cases  the  Editor  has 
taken  the  liberty  of  condensing  the  spirit  of  a  letter  into  a 
simple  question. 

The  literary  faults  are  those  of  the  Editor. 

THE  EDITOR. 


ftable  of  Contents 

Part  I.    The  Masters  of  Wisdom  and  Their  Work. 

Part  II.    Concerning  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15. 

Part  III.    Prayer. 

Part  IV,    The  Astral  Plane. 

Part  V.    Phenomena. 

Part  VI.   Dreams  and  Visions.  j 

Part  VII.    Health  and  Disease. 

Part  VITI.    The  Sex  Problem. 

Part  IX.    Spiritual  Growth  and  Development. 

Part  X.    Miscellaneous. 


PART     I. 
THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK. 

"If  there  are  in  the  Universe  such  beings  as  Angels  or 
Spirits,  whose  INCORPOREAL  essence  may  constitute  an  in- 
telligent Entity,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of  any  (to  us) 
solid  organism;  and  if  there  are  those  who  believe  that  a  God 
made  the  first  man  out  of  dust,  and  breathed  into  him  a  living 
Soul — and  there  are  millions  upon  millions  who  believe  both — 
what  does  this  doctrine  of  ours  contain  that  is  so  impossible?" 
— Blavatsky,  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINE,  Vol.  II. 


ftable  of  Contents 

Part  I.    The  Masters  of  Wisdom  and  Their  Work. 

Part  II.    Concerning  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15. 

Part  III.    Prayer. 

Part  IV.    The  Astral  Plane. 

Part  V.    Phenomena. 

Part  VI.   Dreams  and  Visions.  < 

Part  VII.    Health  and  Disease. 

Part  VIII.    The  Sex  Problem. 

Part  IX.    Spiritual  Growth  and  Development. 

Part  X.    Miscellaneous. 


OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


PART     I. 
THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK. 

"If  there  are  in  the  Universe  such  beings  as  Angels  or 
Spirits,  whose  INCORPOREAL  essence  may  constitute  an  in- 
telligent Entity,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of  any  (to  us) 
solid  organism;  and  if  there  are  those  who  believe  that  a  God 
made  the  first  man  out  of  dust,  and  breathed  into  him  a  living 
Soul — and  there  are  millions  upon  millions  who  believe  both — 
what  does  this  doctrine  of  ours  contain  that  is  so  impossible?" 
— Blavatsky,  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINE,  Vol.  II. 


6         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

June    1st,    1908. 

"Since  I  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  I've  been  a  church 
member  and  worker  therein,  always  loving  it  because  it  is  God's 

work I  have  been  the  recipient  of  a  communication  from 

you  relative  to  the  ORDER  OF  THE  15.  It  is  entirely  new 
matter  to  me,  so  I  should  be  glad  for  you  to  write  to  me  and 
explain  the  meaning  of  'Masters  of  Wisdom*  and  'Great  White 
Lodge*." 

The  Masters  of  Wisdom  are  Great  Souls  who,  through  re- 
peated experiences  and  determined  effort  through  many  earth 
lives,  have  obtained  mastery  firstly  over  the  passions,  appetites 
and  desires  of  the  personal  self,  and  secondly  over  the  forces  of 
Their  bodies  and  over  the  life-currents  of  the  cosmos.  Hence 
They  have  become  one  with  the  Fount  of  all  Wisdom.  They 
and  the  Father  are  one.  Jesus  was  such  a  Master,  in  fact  was 
and  IS  a  Master  of  Masters.  But  there  are  many  more,  all 
banded  together  in  what  is  known  as  THE  GREAT  WHITE 
LODGE ;  a  lodge  in  the  sense  of  oneness  of  aim  and  motive ;  for 
They  are  all  working  for  the  upliftment  of  humanity.  They 
are  divided  into  certain  degrees  and  subdivided  into  orders  so 
as  to  systematically  cover  all  the  needs  of  humanity  in  its  dif- 
ferent stages  of  evolution.  You  will  thus  see  that  there  are 
Masters  of  all  grades,  that  is,  upon  all  steps  of  the  ladder  lead- 
ing to  the  point  of  highest  attainment  where  a  Master  of  Mas- 
ters stands.  Each  group  and  each  individual  has  a  certain 
work  to  do  for  the  betterment  of  humanity.  These  Great 
Souls  are  able  to  function  on  all  planes,  hence  They  are  near  to 
all  who  really  need  Their  help;  for  humanity  must  reach  out 
for  help  ere  it  can  be  given.  As  long  as  individuals  are  satis- 
fied with  a  purely  physical  existence  the  Masters  know  well 
that  they  are  not  yet  ready  to  be  helped ;  for  their  lessons  are 
those  of  the  physical.  So  They  wait  patiently  through  the  ages, 
knowing  that  all  is  well,  and  that  the  treading  of  the  down- 
ward arc  of  the  cycle,  while  apparently  leading  away  from 
Godhood,  in  reality  is  leading  the  Soul  to  a  necessary  point 
where,  having  fed  on  the  husks  and  consorted  with  the  swine, 
it  lifts  up  its  eyes  and  sees  afar  off  its  Father's  home  and 
says,  "I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father/'  It  is  here  that  some 
helping  hand  is  always  stretched  out  to  them,  and  it  is  always 
from  the  Lodge  of  Masters,  who  have  been  watching  and  wait- 
ing in  patient  love  for  that  moment,  that  the  help  comes.  It 
may  seem  to  come  from  some  natural  and  ordinary  source,  but 
in  reality  it  is  from  these  Watchers  and  Elder  Brothers  of  hu- 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AMD  THEIR  WORK.        7 

manity  who  make  use  of  natural  channels  to  answer  the  cry 
of  the  Soul  for  light  and  help. 

As  the  Soul  evolves  upward  and  inward  it  will  take  many 
decided  steps;  will  reach  points  where  all  the  old  props  which 
seemed  so  satisfying  will  drop  away  like  the  straws  that  elude 
the  grasp  of  a  drowning  man.  This  simply  means  that  the 
Soul  has  entered  a  new  Order,  and  that  which  helped  in  the 
old  grade  or  Order  is  now  no  longer  sufficient.  The  Soul  cries 
out  in  dismay,  "Help,  Lord,  or  I  perish !"  Then  it  is  that  the 
outward  recognition  comes,  just  as  these  new  teachings  are  com- 
ing to  you.  The  Masters  of  Wisdom  know  who  need  the  outer 
help,  and  it  never  fails  to  present  itself.  It  is  no  new  teaching 
nor  a  getting  away  from  Christianity  and  the  Savior ;  it  is  but 
a  new  step  on  The  Path;  a  higher  grade  in  the  school  of  the 
Soul;  a  drawing  nearer  to  the  only  Savior,  The  Christ  who 
dwells  forever  among  men — aye  in  their  very  midst.  One  of 
the  aims  of  this  Order  is  the  expounding  of  the  teachings  of 
the  Master  Jesus,  and  we  trust  that  the  above  outline  will  help 
you  to  grasp  something  of  its  significance. 

May  13th,  1908. 

"In  the  existence  of  Masters  I  joyfully  believe,  but  that  there 
are  also  astral  entities  masquerading  as  Masters  I  believe  as 
well.  How  are  we  going  to  know  the  difference?  So  far,  ap- 
parently, the  wisdom  of  the is  quite  unable  to  help  us 

on  this  point,  for  at  present  that  society  presents  the  unedifying 
spectacle  of  intelligent  men  and  women  prostrate  under  the 
glamor  of  the  most  morbid  and  unhealthy  character,  blindly 
following  beings  who,  if  we  are  to  judge  them  by  the  words 
given  to  us  as  theirs,  are  thoroughly  erratic  and  unreliable,  and 
indeed,  disreputable.  These  are  the  Masters  of  a  large  portion 
of  the I" 

We  are  not  surprised  at  your  attitude,  for  it  is  quite  natu- 
ral under  the  circumstances.  But  when  you  come  to  grasp  the 
significance  of  all  the  seeming  confusion  of  which  you  com- 
plain you  will  understand  that  it  is  the  necessary  working  out 
of  the  Great  Law  as  expressed  in  THE  VOICE  OF  THE  SI- 
LF.NCE,  viz.,  "  'Great  Sifter'  is  the  name  of  the  'Heart  Doc- 
trine, '  0  Disciple.  The  wheel  of  the  Good  Law  moves  swiftly 
on.  It  grinds  by  night  and  by  day.  The  worthless  husks  it 
drives  out  from  out  the  golden  grain,  the  refuse  from  the  flour. 
The  hand  of  Karma  guides  the  wheel;  the  revolutions  mark  the 
beating  of  the  cosmic  heart/' 

The ,  and  its  subsidiary  the ,  as  well  as  many 

other  bona  fide  movements,  were  started  for  the  express  pur- 


8  LETTERS  FROM  tlHE  TEACHER. 

pose  of  testing  and  selecting  the  wheat  from  the  chaff.  This 
explains  the  many  upheavals  and  troubles  that  have  come  to 
all  these  movements ;  they  are  but  the  threshing  of  the  grain. 
This  has  been  going  on  for  its  appointed  time  and  now  the 
winnowing  process  has  begun.  This  Movement  is  but  one  more 
stroke  of  the  flail.  Being  nearer  the  end  the  strokes  come 
quicker  and  heavier,  and  all  the  grains  must  feel  the  blows; 
but  with  them  comes  the  skill  and  strength  of  the  Great  Sifter 
who  already  discerns  the  golden  grain  and  directs  His  strokes 
with  wisdom,  so  that  no  true  grain  will  be  crushed  or  lost. 
•'Shun  ignorance,  and  likewise  shun  illusion.  Avert  thy  face 
from  world  deceptions. "  Many  are  called,  truly,  but  few  are 
chosen. 

As  you  say,  the  leaders  may  have  proof  of  the  presence  of 
vhe  Master,  yet  each  student  must  find  and  prove  that  Presence 
for  himself.  The  whole  aim  and  end  of  this  Movement  is  to 
help  each  individual  Soul  to  find,  not  only  The  Christ  within 
himself,  but  also  the  guiding  hand  of  the  Master.  We  can- 
not assure  you  that  you  will  find  Him,  for  many  feel  around  in 
a  darkness  created  by  themselves  and  never  touch  the  out- 
stretched hand.  To  quote  again,  "For  mind  is  like  a  mirror; 
it  gathers  dust  while  it  reflects.  It  needs  the  gentle  breezes 
of  Soul- wisdom  to  brush  away  the  dust  of  our  illusions. ' '  We 
can  only  say  that  the  Teacher  and  Guide  stands  ready,  close  at 
hand,  to  pnide  and  help  you  through  this  labyrinth  of  darkness 
into  the  light  of  the  perfect  day. 

May  6th,  1908. 

"I  am  desirous  of  associating  with  you  as  closely  as  I  may 
be  permitted,  so  that  you  may  teach  me  how  to  better  under- 
stand the  law  of  our  eternal  Being  and  help  humanity." 

The  Lodge  of  Masters  is  eagerly  watching  and  waiting 
for  the  development  of  every  avenue  through  which  They  can 
pour  love  and  wisdom  to  enlighten  the  world  in  this  its  darkest 
hour;  the  hour  that  precedes  the  dawn  of  the  coming  day.  In 
exact  proportion  to  the  true  Soul-desire  for  light,  and  the  prac- 
tical effort  toward  the  purification  and  sanctification  of  the 
instrument,  will  you  become  "a  center  through  which  the 
Lodge  can  work."  "Blessed  are  they  who  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,  for  they  SHALL  be  FILLED."  Meditate 
upon  the  PRAYER  OF  CONSECRATION.1  Study  it  line  by 

1  See   Appendix. 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        9 

line  and  word  by  word  until  you  get  a  realization  of  its 
meaning. 

May  2nd,  1908. 

"Please  tell  me  what  you  mean  by  the  Shining  Ones  you 
mentioned  in  your  previous  letter." 

The  Shining  Ones  are  called  by  various  names,  according 
to  their  seven  degrees  or  divisions,  from  the  Elohim  and  the 
Devas  down  to  the  Nature  Sprites  and  Element als,  The  lower 
orders  (elementals)  are  creating  the  forms  of  nature,  while 
the  higher  orders  (Angels)  are  the  builders  of  man's  higher, 
spiritual  body  through  which  he  must  ultimately  express  his 
Higher  Self.  "They  are  'Gods  THE  CREATURES/  while  he 

(the  Supreme.    Ed.)  is  '  God  THE  CREATOR. ' More 

brilliant  than  flames,  more  rapid  than  the  wind,  and  they  live 
in  love  and  harmony,  mutually  enlightening  each  other,  feed- 
ing on  the  bread  and  a  mystic  beverage — the  communion  wine 
and  water?— surround  as  with  A  RIVER  OF  FIRE  the  throne 
of  the  Lamb,  and  veiling  their  faces  with  their  wings.  This 
throne  of  love  and  glory  they  leave  only  to  carry  to  the  stars, 
the  earth,  the  kingdoms  and  all  the  sons  of  God,  their  brothers 
and  pupils,  in  short,  all  creatures  like  themselves,  the  divine 
influence.  "l 

The  spiritual  or  NIRMANAKAYA  body  is  the  Fire-body 
that  is  bnilded  slowly  and  gradually,  cell  by  cell,  by  each  Soul 
throughout  its  incarnations.  It  is  not  something  attained  at 
the  time  of  death  or  at  the  time  of  triumph,  but  all  along  The 
Path.  In  each  body  informed  by  the  Ego  there  are  some  few 
atoms,  more  or  less,  which  have  been  redeemed  by  him,  and  it 
is  these  atoms  (whether  physical,  mental  or  spiritual)  that  the 
Angels — the  Shining  Ones — gather  and  hold  and  manipulate, 
under  karmic  law,  into  the  final  glorified  body  in  which  there 
is  no  death,  because  each  molecule  and  cell  has  been  purified  in 
the  fire  and  redeemed  forever  more.  This  is  "the  Nirmana- 
kaya's  humble  robe"  in  which  the  Soul  clothes  itself  when  it 
has  taken  the  final  step.  It  is  these  redeemed  atoms  that  the 
Anerels  gather,  even  at  the  expense  of  the  unredeemed. 

May    18th,    1908. 

"I  have  been  in  search  of  my  Higher  Self  or  the  Cosmic 
Consciousness  that  I  have  read  so  much  about  but  seen  so  little 
of  its  manifestation  by  those  who  make  such  great  claims  of 

having  realized  the  Inner  Light My  last  experience 

has  been  with who  claims  to  be  an  Initiate  of  the 

1  SECRET   DOCTRINE,  Blavatoky,  Vol.   Ill,  p.   207. 


10         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

Great  White  Lodge,  and  I  was  under  the  training  of  a  so-called 
Master  for  18  months,  with  the  result  that  my  wife  became  a 

nervous  and  mental  wreck At  present  I  am  studying 

with  Mr of  New  York  but  his  prices  are  so  high  that 

it  nearly  prevents  me  from  going  any  farther In  my 

case  I  have  paid  out  hundreds  of  dollars  and  given  20  years  of 
time,  and  have  lived  to  the  best  of  my  understanding  a  pure 
and  spiritual  life,  yet  the  further  and  deeper  I  go  the  darker 
seems  to  be  the  path." 

You  are  indeed  wandering  round  and  round  the  endless 
circle  of  existence  seeking  on  the  outer  rim  that  which  can  only 
be  found  within,  at  the  very  germinal  point  of  the  mundane 
egg.  You  cry:  "Lo!  here!  Lo!  there !"  and  are  seeking,  seeking 
everywhere,  while  all  the  time  the  Divine  One  stands  close  to 
you  and  with  outstretched  arms  cries:  ''Come  unto  me  and 
rest  0  thou  weary  and  heavy  laden ! ' ' 

You  can  set  it  down  for  a  positive  fact  that  no  Master  of 
Wisdom  ever  did,  ever  will  or  ever  could  advertise  Himself  or 
give  out  spiritual  teachings  at  so  much  per  lesson.  Nor  is 
there  any  such  thing  as  an  Initiate  of  the  Great  White  Lodge 
upon  the  physical  plane  acting  in  His  physical  body,  and  claim- 
ing to  be  such.  The  Great  White  Lodge  does  not  work  that 
way.  If  there  were  such  an  Initiate  thus  working  you  would 
probably  never  find  it  out;  for  He  would  go  about,  like  the 
Master  Jesus,  among  the  sick  and  poor,  and  be  despised  of 
men — His  works  alone  proclaiming  Him.  Neither  can  money 
buy  the  gifts  of  God.  You  remember  the  rebuke  given  to 
Simon  when  he  offered  money  to  the  disciples  for  those  gifts? 
"Thy  money  perish  with  thee,  because  thou  hast  thought  that 
the  gift  of  God  can  be  purchased  with  money.  Thou  hast 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter,  for  thy  heart  is  not  right  in 
the  sight  of  God."1  No  one  can  claim  to  give  spiritual  devel- 
opment. Only  the  Soul  itself  can  earn  it.  And  how  dare  one 
take  money  for  that  which  is  not  his  to  give?  The  very  claim 
of  beinff  able  to  give  such  gifts  for  money  proclaims  the 
tnmostor. 

*  Do  not  confuse  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15  with  any  such 
claims.  This  Order  is  put  forth  by  the  Lodge  of  Masters ;  but 
we  make  no  personal  claims  as  to  being  Masters,  or  even  Initi- 
ates, or  anything  but  human  beings  who  have  reached  a  point 
where  The  Lodge  can  v/ork  through  us.  This  Order,  being  the 
result  of  the  normal  evolution  of  humanity,  is,  of  necessity,  un- 

1  While  it  is  now  recognized  that  this  saying  is  an  interpolation  made  by  the 
early  church  fathers,  nevertheless  it  illustrates  the  point.— Ed, 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        11 

der  the  direct  and  special  guidance  of  the  Masters  of  Wisdom 
from  the  higher  planes.  Its  mission  is  to  awaken  in  the  minds 
of  those  who  are  waiting  and  seeking  for  light,  a  desire  to 
seek  within.  It  is  proposed  to  give  such  assistance  to  human- 
ity, through  human  agents  who  are  willing  to  devote  their  time 
and  energy  without  compensation,  as  will  help  all  Souls  who 
are  ready  to  step  onward,  upward  and  inward. 

All  persons  laying  claim  to  being  Masters  of  Wisdom  or 
Initiates  must,  of  necessity,  come  under  the  law  governing  such 
advanced  Beings.  And  at  the  very  Threshold  of  Initiation  they 
must  be  confronted  with  the  sacrifice  of  all  personal  ambitions 
a-nd  worldly  preferments;  for  these  must  be  given  up  ere  vic- 
tory can  be  won.  "Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon"  was 
spoken  directly  to  neophytes  seeking  Initiation,  and  was  not 
given  to  the  general  run  of  mankind.  The  law  is  imperative 
and  inviolable;  once  having  renouced  all  worldly  honor  as  the 
price  of  the  power  to  be  won,  they  CANNOT,  if  they  would, 
demand  a  money  price  for  their  services;  for  that  would  at 
cnce  put  them  outside  The  Lodge  force,  and  no  gifts  would  be 
theirs  to  impart.  "Freely  ye  have  received,  freely  give"  was 
smother  direction  given  by  the  Master  Jesus  to  His  immediate 
disciples  who  were  candidates  for  Initiation,  and  it  applies  to 
all.  The  gifts  of  God  are  free,  and  are  given  only  to  the  sincere 
seeker,  the  Law  of  Compensation  demanding  as  a  price  that  he 
shall  freely  give,  i.  e.,  to  give  (not  pay)  to  others  of  his  time, 
love,  sympathy,  money — of  all  he  has — to  spread  the  good  tid- 
ings; never  to  enrich  one  person  who  claims  all  power.  If, 
after  the  solemn  services  and  obligations  of  Initiation,  a  neo- 
phyte should  take  pay  for  what  is  not  his  to  give  (for  at  most 
he  is  but  an  agent — a  transmitter  of  the  Gifts  of  God  entrusted 
to  him  to  distribute)  he  becomes  a  deserter  and  a  reprobate. 
All  that  ANY  agent  dare  claim  is  just  compensation  for  money 
expended,  or  to  be  the  custodian  of  money  given  for  the  spread 
of  the  work. 

The  sad  condition  of  your  wife  is,  unfortunately,  a  very 
common  result  of  this  serving  of  Mammon— the  Beast  spoken 
of  in  Revelation — under  the  name  of  The  Christ;  for  that 
is  what  it  is  to  demand  pay  for  spiritual  gifts.  While  most 
students  accept  the  fact  that  the  Beast  is  the  money  power,  yet 
there  is  a  failure  to  realize  things  literally,  especially  the  fact 

1  AJtho  copied  almost  bodily  from  the  BOOK  OF  ENOCH,  which  in  turn  was 
but  a  transcript  from  far  older  texts. — Ed. 


12  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

that  the  Revelation  of  St.  John  was  a  true  prophecy1  which  in 
this  day  is  being  fulfilled.  If  this  is  true,  then,  surely,  it  is  well 
to  take  to  heart  the  message  of  the  third  Angel  who  cried  with 
a  loud  voice:  "If  any  man  worship  the  Beast  and  his  image 
and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead  or  in  his  hand,  the  same 
shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God."  To  worship  the 
Beast,  however,  does  not  mean  that  we  are  not  to  give  money 
its  proper  place ;  we  worship  it  by  exalting  it  above  all  else.  In 
the  Dresent  state  of  the  world,  i.  e.,  during  the  reign  of  the 
Beast,  we  must,  of  necessity,  use  the  coin  of  the  realm,  yet  we— 
especially  such  as  claim  to  be  the  spiritual  guides  and  teachers 
of  others — must  be  very  careful  not  to  have  the  mark  of  the 
Beast  on  our  hands  or  foreheads. 

The  lesson  of  your  wife's  affliction  is  that  all  forced  devel- 
opment— and  all  is  forced  that  is  being  supposedly  given  at  so 
ipuch  per  lesson —  is  like  forcibly  tearing  open  a  rose-bud.  The 
more  sensitive  and  highly  attuned  the  one  receiving  such  treat- 
ment, the  more  dire  the  results.  No  growth  is  normal  or  lasting 
except  that  which  follows  the  law  of  natural  growth — "He 
that  doeth  the  will  of  the  Father."  We  will  do  all  that  is 
possible  to  help  your  wife ;  but  again  we  must  warn  you  that, 
as  it  has  been  the  result  of  abnormal  conditions,  her  return  to 
health  must  be  slow  and  must  follow  the  line  of  natural  spir- 
itual growth  and  development. 

Feb.  12th,  1908. 

"I  have  just  finished  reading  a  book  entitled  'The  Cruci- 
fixion* which  refutes  the  death  of  Christ  while  on  the  cross. 

. .  What  do  you  think  of  it?" 

The  book  about  which  you  ask  may,  or  may  not,  be  true ; 
but  it  makes  very  little  difference,  as  far  as  the  truth  of  His 
teachings  is  concerned,  whether  or  not  such  a  man  as  Jesus 
ever  lived.  As  a  matter  of  history,  there  was  a  high  Initiate  of 
that  name  who  did  pass  through  the  experiences  symbolized  in 
the  Bible  during  the  pilgrimage  of  His  Soul  toward  mastery, 
just  as  every  Soul  must  pass  that  way.  But  the  whole  story,  as 
it  is  told,  is  one  grand  allegory1  designed  to  teach,  exoterically, 
the  inner  truths  of  the  different  steps  on  The  Path.  Each  step 
has  its  trials  and  sufferings,  its  mockery  of  the  multitude  and 
the  final  crucifixion  of  the  lower  personality  on  the  cross,2  and 
the  glorious  resurrection  into  life  immortal;  the  triumph  of  the 
spiritual  over  the  temporal  man.  The  story  is  woven  around 

1  See   lesson   CONCERNING   THE   DOCTRINE   OF   HELL-FIRE. 

2  See  lesson  THE  MEANING  OF  THE  CROSS. 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        13 

this  Initiate,  Jesus,  and  events  and  places  are  adapted  or  created 
to  carry  out  the  symbology;  but  every  name  used,  as  well  as 
every  incident,  has  its  inner  meaning  when  interpreted  kabal- 
isticly.  This  is  the  style  after  which  all  scriptures  are  written, 
i.  e.,  the  Vedas,  Upanishads,  etc.  It  is  the  method  always 
adopted  by  Initiates  in  giving  out  the  great  truths  so  that  only 
those  who  have  developed  the  qualities  necessary  to  the  true 
understanding  can  see  the  inner  meaning.  The  multitude  see 
the  beautiful  story,  which  always  contains  a  sound  moral  lesson, 
and  each  one  gets  from  it  exactly  what  he  is  ready  to  receive. 
The  man  Jesus  may  never  have  died  upon  a  cross,  in  fact  He 
may  have  lived  to  an  advanced  age  and  have  lain  down  the 
earth  lif e  when  He  was  ready  to  enter  the  higher ;  but  it  makes 
IHtle  difference  either  way,  for  it  is  His  teachings  that  count. 
And  they  remain  today  the  most  beautiful  ever  given  to  man. 
Some  day,  perhaps,  we  will  be  given  His  actual  history  as  a 
man;  but  it  is  of  little  moment.  Take  the  lesson  intended  by 
the  allegory  and  "live  the  life." 

May  30th,  1908. 

"I  am  much  interested  to  know  just  why  the  Master  of  the 
Order  could  not  tell  me  more  about  the  psychical  experience 

to  which  I  referred  in  my  last  letter I  confess  that  I 

sent  the  question  to  you  partly  as  a  test  and  partly  because  I 
would  really  be  grateful  for  more  information  regarding  the 
experience." 

Tf  it  were  desirable  to  give  a  mediumistic  "test"  it  could 
easily  be  done,  even  without  the  overshadowing  of  the  Mas- 
ter. This,  however,  is  far  from  the  idea  of  this  Movement.  The 
ORDER  OP  THE  15  is  put  forth  to  feed  the  heart-hunger,  to 
assist  the  weary  Soul  to  enlightenment,  and  to  help  to  a  bet- 
ter understanding  all  who  are  looking  for  love  and  sympathy 
and  help.  The  Master  knows  very  well  what  the  lesson  was 
that  was  given  to  you  by  the  experience  of  which  you  speak ; 
but  no  one  except  yourself  can  know  the  exact  interpretation 
you  have  given  to  it  unless  it  is  filched  from  your  mind  by  a  me- 
diumistic trick.  Until  you  give  your  version,  in  a  heartfelt  desire 
to  obtain  help  in  understanding  the  lesson,  the  Master  cannot 
help  you.  In  fact,  if  you  are  satisfied  that  you  have  gotten  it 
straight  and  that  there  is  no  more  to  it  and  only  ask  as  a 
"test."  then  there  is  no  need  to  help  you;  you  do  not  want  it, 
and  the  lesson  given  has  failed. 


14  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

April  llth,  1908. 
"I  have  a  brother  who   disappeared  about   1898  and   has 

never  been  positively  heard  from  since  then .Is  it  within 

your  power  or  right  to  help  me  find  him  if  alive,  and  reunite 
him  to  his  sisters?" 

As  to  your  brother's  whereabouts,  this  cannot  be  revealed 
to  you  at  the  present  time.  It  is  not  expedient  for  the  Masters 
to  interfere  with  the  personal  Karma  of  any  individual.  Ee 
must  be  permitted  to  work  out  his  problems  in  his  own  way. 
But  while  he  is  working  them  out  he  is  guided  and  helped,  and 
advantage  is  taken  of  every  opening  that  will  aid  him  in  learn- 
ing his  lessons.  This  does  not  mean  that  you  are  not  to  do 
vour  best  to  find  and  help  him ;  but  when  you  have  done  your 
best  leave  the  rest  in  the  hands  of  your  Father  in  Heaven. 

Feb.  21st,  1908. 

"I'm  in  some  doubt  as  to  whether  I  belong  to  the  sheep  or 
the  goats,  but  as  your  circular  is  'to  those  who  truly  desire  to 

progress*  I  may  classify  myself  in  that  category .From 

my  many  occult  experiences  the  conviction  was  forced  upon  me 
that  humanity  as  a  whole  is  practically  under  hypnotic  control. 

At  one  time  I  thought  that  those  Deities  who  are  the 

most  intimately  related  to  the  evolution  of  every  ego,  yet  who 
have  the  power  to  flout  discovery  of  Themselves,  did  not  know 
Their  business  as  well  as  I!!!  I  was  given  great  truths  but  was 
told  that  the  time  was  not  ripe  for  their  publication.  I  insisted 
nevertheless  that  I  would  tell  what  I  had  perceived.  My  article 
was  put  in  type,  but  in  some  way  they  neglected  to  let  me  read 
the  proof.  When  I  saw  the  article  in  print  words  were  mis- 
spelled or  pied  and  lines  transposed  so  that  it  was  impossible 
for  anyone  to  guess  what  I  meant  to  say.  Those  Deities,  Be- 
ings. Adepts  had  verified  my  conception  of  Their  power,  and 
at  the  same  time  effectually  blocked  my  effort  to  disclose  Their 
identity." 

It  makes  very  little  difference  whether  or  not  you  belong 
to  the  sheet)  or  the  goats.  Each  has  his  own  place  and  his  own 
work.  One  makes  good  mutton,  while  the  other  affords  a  grand 
lesson  in  fortitude,  contentment  with  whatever  food  comes 
along  and  a  maintenance  of  a  persevering  determination  to 
cMmb  to  the  very  top  and  surmount  every  difficulty. 

There  is  much  still  for  you  to  learn,  and  there  is  no  one 
nore  in  need  of  careful  training  and  guidance  than  one  who 
has  found  entrance  to  the  inner  planes  while  still  unable  to 
fully  grasp  and  correlate  the  teachings  received.  Especially  is 
this  true  of  one  who,  in  his  great  desire  to  give  out  to  the  world 
that  whitfh  fills  him  with  ecstasy,  is  yet  impatient  of  restraint, 
and  who  lacks  the  ability  to  classify  to  such  an  extent  that  the 


THE  MASTERS   OF  WISDOM  AND   THEIR  WORK.         15 

results  would  do  more  harm  to  humanity  than  good.  For  in- 
stance, your  surmise  that  humanity  is  under  hypnotic  control, 
if  given  out  to  the  world,  would  be  a  death  blow  to  progress 
and  would  stultify  all  effort  to  conquer  on  the  part  of  all  who 
accepted  it.  When  you  are  able  to  see  farther  you  will  under- 
stand why.  In  the  present  condition  of  humanity,  to  a  super- 
ficial glance,  it  might  look  as  though  they  were  but  a  mass  of 
puppets  moved  by  wires  manipulated  by  those  on  other  planes ; 
but  this  is  only  the  result  of  man's  long  continued  refusal  to 
live  up  to  his  real  possibilities  and  his  consequent  loss  of  cer- 
tain powers.  Behind  it  is  the  grand  truth  of  FREE  WILL. 
But,  alas,  man  himself  has  erected  barriers,  has  subordinated 
his  powers  and  debased  his  understanding  and  given  over  con- 
trol of  both  his  mind  and  his  actions  to  entities  who  must, 
through  karmic  right,  hold  the  reins  until  man  once  more 
awakens  to  his  Divine  heritage,  and  once  more  takes  the  guid- 
ance upon  himself 

Do  you  not  have  faith  enough  to  believe  that  those  Masters 
who  have  devoted  Their  all  to  the  advancement  of  humanity 
know,  better  than  your  finite  mind  could  possibly  comprehend, 
what  will  benefit  humanity  most?  And  what,  by  being  tram- 
pled in  the  mire,  will  but  add  to  the  karmic  burden  of  human- 
ity? Your  attitude  of  desiring  to  rush  into  print  with  what 
is  given  you  personally  is  as  foolish  as  if  you  insisted  on  feed- 
ing a  fever  patient  with  a  newly  discovered  food  when  the  doc- 
tors told  you  not  to. 

May  8th,  1908. 

"When  I  said  the  human  kingdom  overlapped  the  animal 
kingdom  through  the  anthropoid  ape  there  was  no  connection  in 
my  mind  with  any  of  the  degrees  of  The  Lodge.  Will  you 
please  explain?" 

The  anthropoid  ape,  being  the  degenerate  offspring  of  man 
—the  result  of  his  cohabitation  with  antedeluvian  (Atlantean) 
monsters—has  in  it  the  spark  of  Manas,  and  hence  belongs,  to 
that  extent,  to  the  human  kingdom.  Therefore,  it  must  be  un- 
der the  direct  guidance  of  the  7th  degree  of  The  Lodge  during 
Us  evolution;  for  no  entity  can  obtain  mastery  and  final  lib- 
eration until  all  the  atoms  for  whose  expression  he  is  respon- 
sible, have  been  redeemed.  This  includes  all  the  atoms  thrown 
off  from  all  his  various  bodies  during  all  his  incarnations,  as 
well  as  all  the  entities  he  has  created  either  with  his  physical 
creative  force  or  by  the  creative  power  of  thought.  It  is  only 
tben  that  he  has  finished  his  " cycle  of  necessity/'  When  a 


16          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

Great  Soul  reaches  the  Threshold  of  Mastery  he  realizes  that  he 
is  mysteriously  connected  with  and  responsible  for  a  host  of 
entities  in  almost  every  stage  of  development  on  all  the  lower 
planes.  Hence  the  septenary  division  of  the  work  of  The 
Lodge  into  degrees  and  sub-degrees,  each  under  the  guidance 
of  certain  Masters,  so  that  all  may  be  cared  for  and  helped  in 
exact  justice.  It  is  very  like  a  school  divided  into  grades,  and 
each  grade  into  classes,  each  under  a  different  teacher,  yet  all 
subject  to  the  Principal,  and  he  in  turn  to  the  Commissioner 
of  Education. 

April  29th,  1908. 

"I  have  been  given  some  duties  to  perform  in  the  way  of  ex- 
ercises given  out  by  Master ,  which  I  cannot  perform 

as  I  would  owing  to  too  much  work  for  others.    The  chase  for 
bread  and  butter  is  so  great  that  it  takes  nearly  all  my  time.    I 
have  to  work  from  10  to  14  hours  a  day  in  a  saw-mill  and  you 
can  see  that  it  keeps  me  'goin*  some'." 

We  note  what  you  say  about  performing  exercises,  but 
tMnk  you  must  have  made  some  mistake  as  to  their  source;  for 
no  Master  would  ever  give  to  a  pupil  exercises  of  a  physical 
r  a  tare  that  would  be  likely  to  overtax  his  capacity.  You  can 
readily  understand  that  such  exercises  cannot  be  given  out  in 
a  general  way,  but  each  lesson  must  be  adapted  to  the  per- 
sonal development  of  the  student,  thus  they  would  not  be  such 
as  to  overtax  his  capacity  for  performance.  The  Masters  of 
Wisdom  know  well  the  physical  conditions  as  well  as  the  spir- 
itual development  of  each  pupil,  and  the  Law  of  Growth  is  al- 
ways followed;  each  pupil  must  learn  to  correlate  with  his 
special  environment. 

Anything  that  would  tend  to  retard  or  prevent  you  from 
doing  your  plain  duty  in  that  condition  and  position  in  life  in 
which  the  great  Law  of  Karma  has  placed  you,  would  be  a  seri- 
ous setback  to  your  spiritual  development  and  hence  such  direc- 
tions would  never  be  given  by  a  Master  of  Wisdom.  We  can 
never  conquer  a  thing  until  we  have  worked  it  out,  and  to  take 
up  YOGI  exercises  when  your  strength  is  fully  taxed  to  per- 
form your  necessary  physical  labor  is  to  crowd  out  something 
which  should  come  first — something  which  lies  nearer.  People 
often  mpke  the  mistake  of  saying  that  some  Master  requires  a 
certain  thing  of  them  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  they  have  never 
received  any  direct,  personal  instructions  from  a  Master.  You 
can  apply  this  test  to  instructions  received  from  any  source : 
Are  they  reasonable?  are  they  just?  are  they  right?  Direc- 


THE  MASTERS   OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        17 


tions  for  physical  exercises  are  never  given  by  a  Master  of  Wis- 
dom except  in  a  personal  way,  and  in  such  a  case  they  would 
be  adapted  to  that  pupil's  ability  and  capacity,  and  to  that 
pupil  alone. 

May  19th,  1908. 

"I  am  pleased  with  the  titles  Teachers,  Guides,  Elder 
Brothers,  but  the  title  'Masters'  grates  on  my  nerves.  I  long  to 
see  this  world  without  a  master  or  a  slave  in  it." 

We  understand  and  appreciate  your  attitude.  You  are  suf- 
fering from  a  very  common,  and  a  very  natural,  misunder- 
standing of  the  term  mentioned  owing  to  the  common  use  and 
abuse  of  the  word  Master  by  many  so-called  followers  of  the 
Wisdom-Religion.  Jesus,  who  was  the  greatest  Initiate 
(Master)  the  world  has  ever  known,  said:  "One  is  your  master 
even  Christ :  and  all  ye  are  brethren.  Neither  be  ye  called  mas- 
ters :  for  one  is  your  master  even  Christ. ' '  When  the  expression 
"  Masters  of  Wisdom "  is  used,  reference  is  had  to  this  very 
thing.  Masters  are  Beings  who,  through  much  travail  of  Soul, 
have  attained  the  Christ  center  where  The  Christ  has  regained 
His  rightful  place  as  Master  of  all  the  forces,  molecules  and 
powers  that  compose  mortal  bodies — physical,  astral  and  men- 
The  Christ  in  command  is  the  Master. 

It  is  erroneous  to  use  the  expression  "my  Master"  or 
"your  Master, "  for,  as  Jesus  pointed  out,  no  MAN  can  be  your 
master.  When  you  have  gained  mastery  over  the  kingdom 
given  to  you  yourself,  with  its  sheaths  or  bodies,  by  your 
Father,  then  do  you  become  a  Master.  Again,  Jesus  said,  "Ye 
have  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  (i.  e.  your  emotions, 
words,  acts,  etc.)  behold  I  (The  Christ)  will  make  you  ruler 
(Master)  over  many. ' '  Think  this  matter  over.  Meditate  espe- 
ciallv  upon  the  text  given  that  "All  ye  are  brethren. ' '  You  have 
recognized  the  point  to  which  humanity  has  struggled  and 
should  have  faith  to  know  that  whenever  such  a  point  is  reached 
an  effort  is  made  to  bring  back  the  disobedient  wanderers  to 
the  true  center ;  to  prepare  at  least  a  few  who  will  and  can  rec- 
ognize the  necessity  for  the  coming  of  a  direct  Savior  or  Avatar 
—a  perfected  Soul  such  as  the  Master  Jesus.  This  has  never 
yet  failed  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and,  as  you  say,  condi- 
tions are  ripe  at  the  present  time  for  such  another  coming. 
Think  you  that  there  will  now  be  the  first  failure?  The  cry  of 
every  sincere  heart  for  light  and  upliftment  shall  be  answered, 
and  at  the  present  time  the  cry  from  many,  many  hearts  is  call- 


18          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

ing  continually,  day  and  night:  "How  long  0  Lord?  How 
long?"  And  the  answer  comes:  "While  they  are  yet  speak- 
ing, I  will  hear. ' ' 

June  1st,  1908. 

"If  the  Persian  teacher  called  The  Bab  is  a  Master  why 
does  he  not  teach  reincarnation  and  Karma?" 

The  Bab  is  a  very  high  Master.  In  fact  he  is  an  Eman- 
ation or  Personification  of  the  coming  Avatar  or  World  Savior. 
That  is,  the  mortal  body  of  a  Persian  youth  has  been  over- 
shadowed and  informed  by  The  Christos  to  such  a  degree  that 
it  manifests  The  Christ.  Such  a  manifestation,  however,  must 
of  necessity,  work  through  a  physical  body  sufficiently  purified, 
and  a  brain  sufficiently  trained  to  become  an  instrument  through 
which  The  Christ  can  work  to  an  exceptional  degree.  The  Bab 
is  a  Persian,  with  all  the  national  leadings  and  tendencies 
that  appeal  to  that  race,  who  has  been  especially  prepared  to 
be  an  instrument  through  which  The  Christ  can  come  to  the 
Mohammedans.  It  is  a  case  of  Avesha  Avatara,  the  overshad- 
owing and  informing  of  the  lesser  by  the  greater.  As  one 
writer  si vs  •  ' '  In  the  Avesha  Avatara  a  pure  vessel  is  chosen,  not 
necessarily  a  MUKTA  YOGI  (a  liberated  man),  and  the  Divine 
Life  utilizes  the  Man  thus  qualified,  for  a  limited  period  and  for 

a  particular  purpose Generally,  for  a  life  time,  the 

Divine  Influence  continues  to  shine  through  the  purified  vessel 
and,  to  all  appearances,  as  in  reality  it  is,  the  human  nature  of 
the  man  is  submerged  by  the  overflowing  Divine  Life. ' 91  In  such 
cases  nothing  of  the  individuality  is  lost ;  it  is  the  personality 
plus  the  higher  principles  of  some  Great  Teacher,  or  say  of  The 
Christ.  Such  overshadowing  is  by  no  means  as  rare  as 
may  be  supposed,  the  difference  being  in  the  advancement  of 
the  overshadowing,  or  we  might  say,  incarnating  Teacher,  who, 
m  all  such  cases,  projects  His  higher  principles  (Atma,  Buddhi, 
Manas)  into,  or  grafts  them  upon,  the  individuality  of  the  dis- 
ciple who,  through  his  own  choice  and  purity  of  life,  has  pre- 
pared a  mentality  and  a  personality  capable  of  expressing  the 
Great  Soul  who  descends  thus  to  help  humanity. 

As  to  the  Bab's  teaching  Reincarnation  and  Karma,  it  is 
given  to  every  Great  Teacher  to  use  His  own  judgment  as  to 
the  amount  and  the  method  of  giving  out  the  Divine  Teachings. 
Also,  being  a  Persian,  the  brain-mind  of  the  personality  or  in- 

1  Studies  in  THE  BHAGAVAD  GITA,  III  series,  p.  130. 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        19 

strument  used  does  not  respond  to  the  truths  mentioned  and 
does  not  make  them  a  reality,  as  would  be  the  case  with  a  dis- 
ciple who  had  been  trained  in  that  line  of  thought.  The  Teacher 
overshadowing  the  Bab  does  not  think  the  Persians,  or  rather 
the  Mohammedans  in  general,  are  ready  for  the  teaching  of  Re- 
incarnation. And  when  you  think  of  the  materialism  of  the  Mo- 
hammedans you  will  not  wonder  at  this  decision;  for  such  a 
teaching  would  be  too  great  a  jump  from  their  previous  race- 
training  and  habits  of  thought  and  would  tend  to  confuse  in- 
stead of  to  unify  them.  Therefore  that  Teacher  teaches  such 
ethics  of  life  as  will  prepare  them  to  overcome  their  Karma  and 
be  ready  for  Reincarnation.  He  teaches  immortality,  but  does 
not  specify.  Perhaps  some  of  his  followers  may  be  led  to  deny 
Reincarnation,  because  it  is  not  found  in  his  teachings ;  but  the 
Bab  himself  does  not  deny  it,  he  simply  does  not  realize  it  be- 
cause the  overshadowing  entity  ignores  it,  thinking  that  his 
children  are  not  yet  ready  for  it  and  that,  if  they  follow  his 
teachings  and  make  their  lives  conform  to  them,  Reincarnation 
will  take  care  of  itself.  No  one  is  ready  to  learn  Reincarnation 
to  whom  it  does  not  appeal.  Only  those  who  feel  an  inward 
urge  to  know  THE  WHOLE  truth  need  have  it  given  them. 
The  Bab  is  giving  the  Mohammedans  all  they  can  grasp  and  live 
up  to. 

The  Bab  is  not  a  direct  Avatar  or  World  Savior,  but  is  the 
Savior  for  the  Mohammedans.  Those  of  the  Western  world  who 
feel  especially  drawn  to  his  teachings  are  probably  reincarnated 
Mohammedans  and  naturally  come  under  his  magnetic  influence. 

Each  sub-race  has  a  direct  Avatar  who  embodies  the  high- 
est ideals  of  that  sub-race.  The  Avatar  is  always  in  advance  of 
the  sub-race  to  which  He  comes,  being  the  highest  type  to  which 
the  sub-race,  as  a  sub-race,  can  evolve.  The  coming  Avatar  for 
the  new  sub-race  (the  sixth),  now  evolving  in  the  Western  hemi- 
sphere, will  represent  the  highest  possibilities  of  the  sixth  sub- 
race  humanity,  and  His  teachings  will  embrace  all  to  which  it 
is  possible  for  the  new  sub-race  to  evolve.  Each  Avatar  must 
have  prepared  for  Him,  and  must  overshadow,  inhabit  and 
work  through,  a  body  capable  of  expressing  all  the  advanced 
truths  needed  by  the  sub-race  to  which  He  comes.  The  charac- 
teristic of  the  new  sub-race  will  be  a  desire  to  delve  into  the 
deeDest  mysteries  of  all  truth,  hence  its  Avatar  must  be  capable 
of  expressing  the  most  advanced  truths  given  to  any  Race  or 
sub-race  thus  far. 


20  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

The  fundamental  object  of  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15  is  to 
gather  together  and  prepare  those  faithful  Souls  who  are  ready 
to  make  conditions  for  His  manifestation  possible. 

The  one  rule  must  be  applied  to  all,  namely,  "By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them. ' '  No  one  can  study  the  pure  teach- 
ings of  the  Bab  or  observe  his  blameless  life  and  his  Christ-like 
influence  and  not  know  that  he  has  The  Christ  abiding  in  him. 

"Have  I  reached  that  point  where  I  am  ready  for  personal 
instruction?    Am  I  ready  to  come  into  personal  touch  with  the 

Masters  of  Wisdom? What  directions  can  you  give  for 

forming  such  contact?" 

The  way  in  which  a  pupil  is  brought  into  personal  touch 
with  the  Masters  of  Wisdom  is  firstly,  as  we  state  in  our  circu- 
lars, "It  will  be  ONLY  THROUGH  YOUR  OWN  INDIVIDU- 
AL EFFORT,  your  attitude  of  Soul,  and  the  character  of  your 
life  that  will  enable  YOU  TO  PLACE  YOURSELF  in  personal, 
conscious  touch  with  the  Masters.  IT  DEPENDS  UPON  NO 
PERSONALITY  BUT  YOUR  OWN."  And  secondly,  until  this 
conscious  touch  has  been  made,  you  may  come  into  personal 
touch  by  correspondence  with  the  Order.  For  whenever  a  pupil 
writes,  in  singleness  of  purpose  and  with  a  heart-cry  for  help 
and  enlightenment,  the  letter  sent  him  in  reply  is  dictated  by  a 
Master  of  Wisdom.  Often  the  application  of  the  letter  thus 
transmitted  is  not  understood  by  the  Agents,  for  they  may  not 
understand  the  circumstances  of  the  pupil,  but,  nevertheless, 
the  pupil  can  see  the  application  of  the  message.  Often,  too, 
the  letters  are  beyond  the  full  comprehension  of  the  pupil  unless 
he  studies  and  meditates  upon  them.  That  is,  the  intuition  of 
the  pupil  is  not  sufficiently  awakened  to  perceive  under  the 
words  the  answer  to  his  real  need.  And  since,  as  it  frequently 
happens,  the  pupil  has  his  own  ideas  of  what  he  needs,  while  the 
Master  takes  quite  a  different  view  of  the  situation,  it  is,  in  re- 
ality, a  severe  test  to  the  pupil  and  he  often  fails  to  pass  it, 
being  unable  to  recognize  the  Master's  words.  Thus  the  pupil 
wonders  why  he  has  not  come  into  personal  touch,  as  he  under- 
stands it,  and  perhaps  accuses  the  Order  of  misrepresentation. 
But  there  is  no  claim  made  in  the  letters  that  they  are  dictated 
by  a  Master  of  Wisdom.  They  are  signed  by  the  Secretary  who 
says  that  he  is  " directed  by  the  Teacher  of  the  Order  to  say," 
leaving  it  to  the  pupil  to  accept  it  as  from  a  Master  or  from  the 
human  brain  of  the  Secretary,  as  his  intuition  directs. 

If,  however,  the  pupil  recognizes  something  more  than  mere 
human  wisdom  in  the  letters  and  welcomes  the  Master's  words, 


THE  MASTERS  OF  WISDOM  AND  THEIR  WORK.        21 

it  is  seldom  long  ere  he  or  she  is  in  interior,  personal  communi- 
cation with  the  Master  who  dictated  the  letter.  Indeed,  many 
of  the  more  advanced  pupils  receive  the  answers  to  their  ques- 
tions before  they  have  finished  writing  them  to  the  Secretary 
and  the  .latter 's  letter  merely  confirms  what  they  had  received 
interiorly 

You  are  ready  for  personal  help  when  you  can  recognize 
and  accept  the  instruction  when  it  comes.  Such  personal  help 
cannot  be  withheld  when  the  demand  is  made;  but  it  never 
flatters  tbe  pupil.  On  this  account  the  pupil  often  thinks  that  the 
Master  does  not  appreciate  him  at  his  true  worth,  that  is,  at  his 
own  estimation  of  himself;  for  the  Master  gives  what  is  most 
reeded  rather  than  what  is  most  wanted 

As  to  directions  for  forming  such  interior  contact,  my  son, 
there  are  no  directions  that  anyone  could  give  you  unless  your 
own  intuition  can  speak.  If  you  have  formed  a  conception  of  a 
mysterious  interview  with  some  wonderful  Being  whose  pres- 
ence will  send  thrills  down  your  spine  and  who  will  confer  upon 
you  some  mysterious  power  that  you  can  carry  with  you  hence- 
forth and  proclaim  to  the  world  "I  am  holier  than  thou,  for  I 
have  met  the  Master, ' '  then  we  say,  most  emphatically,  that  all 
the  force  and  power  of  the  great  Lodge  of  Masters  would  be  set 
in  motion  to  prevent  such  a  catastrophe.  Such  a  thing  has  never 
occurred,  and  never  will  occur 

The  whole  thing,  in  a  nut-shell,  is  that  no  pupil  is  left  with- 
out the  help  and  instruction  needed  for  his  advance.  At  certain 
stages,  life  alone  can  give  you  this;  in  other  cases  there 
are  books  and  earthly  teachers  who  can  give  the  Soul  all 
that  it  needs  for  a  certain  step  in  its  growth.  But  when  the 
pupil  has  culled  all  the  lessons  to  be  learned  in  these  ways; 
when  life  no  longer  teaches,  because  its  simpler  lessons  have 
been  learned  and  an  interpreter  is  needed  for  its  mysteries; 
when  books  and  earthly  teachings  seem  like  dry  husks,  and  the 
Soul  cries  out  for  more  food,  IT  MUST  BE  FED ;  for  this  is 
The  Law.  Then  there  begins  to  come  to  him  something  closer, 
generally  as  a  still  small  voice,  as  a  dream,  vision  or  distinct 
impression.  If  he  listens  and  follows  these  leadings  he  will  find 
them  confirmed  and  work  out  in  his  life  and  become  steps  on 
The  Path,  until,  finally,  he  finds  himself  confronted,  not  with  a 
mysterious  personage,  but  in  close,  familiar  communion  with 
an  Intelligence  whom  he  has  learned  to  love  and  trust.  Only 
when  this  interior  communion  is  established  can  the  pupil  come 


22  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

face  to  face  with  his  Guru.  Of  course  this  will  take  place  upon 
the  inner  planes,  but  long  ere  this  he  will  be  carefully  in- 
structed as  to  the  necessary  steps,  the  necessary  cautions  to  be 
observed ;  will  be  told  how  to  recognize  and  treat  false  teachers 

and  false  teachings 

The  requisite  preparation  for  such  close,  personal  contact 
is  a  sincere  and  loving  heart,  a  child-like  confidence  and  trust, 
and  a  willingness  to  sit  at  the  Master's  feet  and  be  taught, 
rather  than  to  afford  an  opportunity  for  the  pupil  to  tell  the 
Secretary  how  much  human  wisdom  he  has  obtained.  That  is, 
he  must  be  willing  to  listen  to  and  study  and  meditate  upon  the 
teaching*  received,  no  matter  how  hidden  the  meaning  may  at 
first  appear  and  no  matter  how  opposed  to  his  former  ideas  and 
conceptions.  All  must  be  carefully  weighed  and  pondered  and 
such  as  appeal  to  the  pupil  as  true  and  right  accepted,  that  is, 
those  that  stand  the  test  of  the  Law  of  Love  and  Life . . 


PART  II. 

j 

CONCERNING  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15. 

"For  my  part,  having  given  the  greater  part  of  my  life  to 
the  study  and  analysis  of  facts,  I  would  rather  be  the  author  of 
the  tritest  homily,  or  the  baldest  poem,  that  inculcated  that  im- 
perishable essence  of  the  soul  to  which  I  have  neither  scalpel 
nor  probe,  than  be  the  founder  of  the  subtlest  school,  or  the 
framer  of  the  loftiest  verse,  that  robbed  my  fellow-men  of  their 
faith  in  a  spirit  that  eludes  the  dissecting  knife, — in  a  being 
that  escapes  the  grave-digger."  Bulwer-Lytton,  A  STRANGE 
STORY. 


$4          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

April  9th,  1908. 

"I  note  that  it  is  stated  that  the  Teachers  of  the  Order  will 
remain  hidden.  One  would  naturally  wish  to  know  on  what  au- 
thority the  contemplated  teachings,  and  the  predictions  men- 
tioned, are  given.  However,  I  suppose  that  the  instruction  given 
will  soon  show  in  itself  its  source.  On  the  other  hand,  I,  in 
common  with  others  to  whom  I  have  shown  your  circulars, 
would  like,  if  possible,  some  more  definite  information  as  to  the 
organizers  of  this  movement — the  physical  plane  organizers, 
if  the  others  must  remain  hidden." 

We  are  truly  sorry  that  we  cannot  comply  with  your  re- 
quest as  to  the  personality  of  the  organizers  of  this  Order.  All 
we  can  say  is  that  it  is  a  direct  outpouring  of  The  Lodge  force, 
and  the  agents  through  whom  it  is  manifesting  are  of  no  more 
importance,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  teachings,  than  would 
be  the  pipe  through  which  a  stream  of  pure  water  was  led  into 
a  parched  and  thirsty  land.  Those  who  are  athirst  for  the 
living  waters  will  drink;  those  who  are  satisfied  with  that  which 
is  at  their  disposal  will  pass  it  by.  Only  the  thirsty  appreciate 
water. 

If  a  history  of  the  personalities  were  set  forth,  with  photo- 
graphs, names,  etc.  of  what  avail  would  it  be?  Would  it  make 
the  message  any  more  satisfying?  Would  it  make  truth  any 
more  true?  Or  would  it,  as  has  always  happened  heretofore, 
tend  to  detract  from  the  teachings?  Those  who  had  a  personal 
leaning  toward  the  agent  would  cling  to  the  personality,  ex- 
cusing every  eccentricity  and  perhaps  following  some  personal 
bias  or  weakness,  and  would  waste  many  words  and  much  force 
in  defending  such  a  personality.  Such  an  attitude  has  heretofore 
put  many  temptations  in  the  path  of  agents,  and  has  even  made 
them  unfit  instruments  for  The  Lodge  to  use.  On  the  other 
hand,  all  who  did  not  altogether  admire  the  personality  of  the 
agent  would  have  a  target  at  which  to  throw  stones.  To  them 
all  the  teachings  would  be  tainted  by  the  personality  of  the 
agent.  This,  and  much  more,  has  been  the  sad  experience  of  all 
past  attempts  to  give  out  The  Lodge  teachings.  Humanity  has 
proved,  most  conclusively,  that  it  is  not  yet  ready  to  be  trusted 
with  a  knowledge  of  the  personality  of  the  agent.  Therefore, 
in  sorrow,  the  Masters  of  Wisdom  have  taken  away  from  them 
the  gift  which,  like  children,  they  have  shown  their  utter  in- 
ability to  appreciate.  The  Karma  ignorantly  incurred  in  the 
past  by  the  treatment  of  former  agents  of  The  Lodge  is  to  be 
spared  humanity  this  time.  As  each  individual  grows  into  touch 
with  this  work  on  the  soul  plane,  and  displays  a  right  appre- 


CONCERNING  THE  ORDER  OF  THE   15.  25 

elation  of  the  sacrifice  made  by  such  agents,  and  ability  to 
judge  the  matter  impartially  and  apart  from  personality,  the 
knowledge  may  be  given  them. 

You  are  quite  right  in  thinking  that  the  teachings  are 
themselves  their  own  authority;  for  if  they  did  not  indicate 
their  source  no  amount  of  specious  claiming  on  the  part  of  the 
agents  would  avail.  "If  this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to 
naught;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it;  lest  haply 
ye  be  found  even  to  fight  against  God. ' ' 

At  present  we  can  only  say  that  this  Movement  is  a  modern 
prophet  without  the  walls  of  the  city,  crying,  * '  Prepare  ye  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths  straight."  It  is  a  modern 
"Voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Repent  ye:  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. ' '  If  that  voice  finds  an  echo  in 
your  heart  follow  it ;  if  not,  go  your  way  in  peace,  for  your  time 
is  not  yet  come. 

June  8th,  1908. 

"I  note  what  you  say  about  organizations.  I  am  so  glad  we 
can  be  in  the  Order  of  the  15  without  being  buried  within  its 
folds;  that  we  can  have  its  air  and  its  vibrations  yet  be  free. 
O,  that  word  free  means  so  much  to  me!" 

All  real  cosmic  Orders  will  aid  toward  the  individualiza- 
tion  of  freedom.  Anything  which  engulfs  you  and  smothers 
out  all  natural  growth  must  be  unnatural,  hence  of  man.  God 
works  always  on  broad  lines  leading  to  freedom.  The  true 
lesson  of  universal  brotherhood  and  freedom  and  the  oneness 
of  all  creation  can  never  be  learned  except  as  nature  demon- 
strates the  lesson,  i.  e.  each  growing  thing  after  its  own  kind 
without  interference,  yet  each  and  all  attaining  perfection 
through  the  same  forces — sun,  air,  earth  and  water.  The  oak 
and  the  violet  at  its  root,  each  from  the  selfsame  soil,  and  in  the 
same  environment,  attain  to  an  individualized  perfection ;  each 
adds  its  ouota  to  the  one  perfect  picture.  And  the  oak  does  not 
continually  reproach  the  violet  because  it  does  not  try  to  be  an 
oak.  The  Japanese,  through  so-called  "art,"  can  so  dwarf  and 
pervert  nature  that  the  oak  can  grow  in  a  pot  no  larger  than 
that  required  for  the  violet,  and  this  is  what  many  man-made 
movements  are  attempting  to  do  with  the  human  oak. 

April  27th,  1908. 

"I  am  a  Theosophist  and  would  like  further  information  re- 
garding your  Order." 

Many  sincere  Theosophists  have  questioned  our  Movement 
by  asking  why,  since  it  comes  direct  from  The  Lodge,  it  is  not 


26  CONCERNING  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  is. 

given  out  through  the  already  established  channels.  We  do  not 
desire  to  have  it  understood  that  the  formation  of  this  new 
rharnel  is  a  reflection  upon  or  a  criticism  of  those  organiza- 
tions ;  for  they  all  have  their  particular  work.  The  work  of  this 
Order,  however,  is  something  quite  different,  i.  e.,  the  interpret- 
ation of  the  teachings  of  the  Master  Jesus  and  the  giving  of 
the  help  required  by  each  Soul  after  it  has  reached  a  certain 
point  of  development  where  the  teachings  given  out  to  the  mass 
of  students  as  a  whole  no  longer  meet  its  needs.  This  cannot 
be  done  by  organizations  that  are  bound  by  general  rules;  for 
their  fundamental  principle  is  that  all  must  fare  alike  and  take 
such  general  instructions  as  can  be  given  without  regard  to  the 
needs  of  individual  pupils.  If  you  will  carefully  study  the  les- 
son on  DEGREES  AND  ORDERS  you  will  understand  why 
such  laws  and  rules  are  necessary  for  such  organizations,  and 
from  their  standpoint,  are  right  and  proper.  They  must  follow 
their  instructions  from  The  Lodge ;  for  those  are  laws  given  to 
all  organizations  working  on  the  negative  side  of  the  cross. 
Hence  they  must  follow  the  negative  law,  i.  e.,  advance  can 
only  be  made  collectively  and  all  must  fare  alike  as  to  instruc- 
tion. THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15,  however,  as  you  will  see  from 
that  lesson,  is  on  the  positive  side  of  the  cross,  and  is  put  forth 
to  aid  those  who  need  PERSONAL  instruction ;  those  who  have 
reached  a  point  where  they  can  come  into  personal  touch  with 
the  Masters  of  Wisdom  interiorly,  yet  who  need  instruction 
and  direction  in  forming  such  contact.  We  do  not  aim  to  sup- 
plant the  ,  but  should  supplement  their  work  in 

greatest  harmony;  for  their  teachings  are  the  basis  upon  which 
we  build  and  which  we  require  from  our  pupils.  This  is  the 
Law:  Only  he  who  asks  can  receive,  because  the  asking  opens 
the  doors  through  which  help  can  come. 

May  4th,  1908. 

"I  very  gladly  ask  to  study  with  you,  but  in  fairness  I  must 
say  that  I  am  old  and  sick  and  poor,  and  will  not  consider  my- 
self aggrieved  if  classed  as  ineligible.'* 

We  are  most  happy  to  welcome  you  into  our  Order.  We 
welcome  the  " old  and  sick  and  poor/'  and  those  who  are  heart- 
hungry  for  love  and  sympathy.  Hear  ye  not  the  voice  of  the 
Master  saying,  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit:  for  theirs  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven"?  Yea,  blessed  are  the  sick;  for  they  shall 
be  healed.  Blessed  are  the  old;  for  they  have  garnered  the 
wisdom  of  earth  and  are  nearing  the  very  hour  when  the  Lord 


CONCERNING  THE  ORDER  OF  THE   15.  27 

shall  walk  in  the  garden  with  them  in  the  cool  of  the  day. 
Whosoever  sends  out  a  cry  of  heartfelt,  loving  desire  shall  be 
heard  and  shall  meet  Him  face  to  face.  We  are  only  too  glad 
of  the  privilege  granted  us  of  sending  even  a  little  love  and 
light  and  joy  to  you. 

Can.,  Jan.  12th,  1908. 

"The  temperament  which  I  have  earned,  and  of  which  I  am 
at  present  the  possessor,  demands  that  certain  things  shall  be 
clearly  explained  to  me,  because  in  this  great  country  of  North 
America,  there  are  more  fakes  and  frauds  in  so-called  Spiritual 
organizations  than  in  any  other  country  with  which  I  am 
acquainted.  You  will  no  doubt  recognize  that  to  those  who  are 
worthy  of  joining  your  organization  you  must  reveal  as  much 
concerning  it  as  will,  with  their  want  of  knowledge  concerning 
it,  satisfy  them  that  you  are  what  you  claim  to  be." 

No  doubt  if  this  Movement  were  a  fake  or  a  fraud  or  some 
scheme  to  get  money  from  the  credulous,  there  would  be  volum- 
inous "proofs"  and  attestations  as  to  its  genuineness,  and  loud 
protestations  of  its  power  to  stand  above  all  other  organiza- 
tions. But  as  it  does  not  belong  to  that  class  we  must  adhere 
to  the  universal  rule,  the  law  always  followed  by  The  Lodge  of 
Masters,  i.  e.  the  one  law  of  creation,  growth  and  evolution: 
"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  When  a  planet  is  born 
it  does  not  herald  the  advent  abroad,  but  goes  on  its  appointed 
way,  following  the  law  of  its  being,  until  some  earnest  investi- 
gator, who  is  watching  and  seeking,  discovers  and  records  it. 
When  a  tree  blossoms  or  bears  fruit  it  does  not  blow  a  trumpet, 
but  waits  patiently  until  someone  finds  it,  and  through  his  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  trees,  and  through  his  reasoning  power, 
decides  that  the  blossom  is  rare  and  that  the  fruit,  even  though 
hitherto  unknown,  must  necessarily  be  wholesome.  This  is  The 
Law:  true  Wisdom  cannot  swerve  from  it. 

Every  Soul  has  implanted  within  it,  as  an  integral  prin- 
ciple, the  power  of  intuition,  just  as  every  mineral,  vegetable 
and  animal  has  the  power  of  selection  or  instinct  which  leads  it 
to  follow  the  lines  of  evolution  best  fitted  for  its  growth  and 
perfection,  in  accord  with  its  environment.  This  beneficent 
provision  was  not  denied  man — the  highest  point  reached,  so 
far,  in  the  scale  of  evolution — indeed,  it  was  given  him  in  far 
greater  abundance  than  to  the  lower  kingdoms.  With  it  was 
given  the  power  of  reason,  and  free  will,  that  he  might,  if  he 
would,  KNOW  or  he  might,  if  he  would,  DOUBT  and  go  astray 
and  waste  time — a  privilege  denied  the  lower  kingdoms. 


28         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

April  19th,  1908. 

"What  appealed  to  me  so  forcibly  in  THE  ORDER  OF 
THE  15  was  its  grand,  broad  foundation  and  the  loving  help  and 
recognition  it  held  out  to  those  who  were  ready.  In  all  my  ask- 
ing before  in  this  line,  I  had  been  put  off  with  stones,  and  no 
recognition  of  possible  individual  preparation  or  development 
taken  into  consideration." 

When  all  candidates  are  placed  upon  the  same  level  and 
no  spiritual  insight  is  employed,  from  a  merely  earthly  stand- 
point all  must  pass  through  the  same  wearying  delays.  But  no 
movement  can  be  a  heart-help  which  stamps  itself,  at  the  out- 
set, as  incapable  of  discerning  inward  qualifications.  All  so- 
called  "inner"  instructions  coming  from  such  a  body  must,  of 
necessity,  be  designed  to  help  the  general  mass  rather  than 
individuals.  It  is  but  a  corroboration  of  the  teaching  given  in 
the  lesson  on  DEGREES  AND  ORDERS  that,  while  true  and 
necessary,  nevertheless  such  teachings  belong  to  the  negative 
side  of  the  cross,  where  advance  comes  in  a  general  way  for 
the  mass  of  pupils  as  a  whole  and  is  not  especially  adapted  to 
individual  needs. 

March  6th,  1908. 

"The  question  arises  whether  this  Order  would  give  such 
teachings  and  training  or  discipline  as  would  clash  with  that  of 
the School?" 

The  object  of  the  personal  instruction  in  this  Order  is  to 
help  each  pupil  to  come  into  personal  touch  with  his  own  Guru 
or  Teacher,  and  thus  receive  his  instruction  in  practical  occult- 
ism at  first  hand.  There  are  no  two  persons  who  need  exactly 
the  same  help,  and  for  that  reason  no  Soul  who  had  not  reached 
Mastery  would  dare  give  such  instruction  and  assume  the  kar- 
mic  responsibility  for  the  teachings  given.  Therefore,  when  a 
student  is  prepared  for  such  instruction  the  Guru  will  be  ready 
to  give  him  personal  training.  But  unless  the  student  has 
awakened  his  intuition  sufficiently  to  recognize  the  Master's 
presence,  and  has  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  laws 
governing  such  communications,  the  message  will  be  meaning- 
less ;  for  he  will  be  unable  correctly  to  interpret  it.  This  Move- 
ment, then,  is  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  made  to  the  stu- 
dents of  the School,  as  you  will,  perhaps,  realize 

later  on. 

April  15th,  1908. 

"I  want  particularly  to  know  whether  membership  in  THE 
ORDER  OF  THE  15  is  incompatible  with  membership  in  the 
School." 


CONCERNING  THE   ORDER  OF   THE   15.  29 

As  to  your  inquiry  about  joining  the School, 

we  assure  you  that  it  can  make  no  possible  difference  to  us, 
except  that  we  hope  you  will  not  take  obligations  that  will  pre- 
vent you  from  remaining  in  the  Order.  This  Order,  being  a 
real  Order  of  The  Lodge,  is  gathering  its  members  from  all 
organizations  and  cannot  possibly  interfere  with  them.  In  fact 
we  desire  to  have  our  members  remain  faithful  to  obligations 
already  assumed  and  thus  infuse  The  Lodge  force  into  their 
organizations. 

May  15th,  1908. 

"I  never  had  any  uplifting  power  like  I  have  received  from 
this  Order.  Your  first  letter  and  lesson  came  direct  to  the  soul. 
I  have  learned  a  lot  of  mantrams  but  never  one  that  has  done  me 
as  much  good  as  the  one  in  the  lesson.  (The  MORNING 

PRAYER.     Ed.) I  cannot  help  the  Order  as  I  would 

like  but  will  send  you  as  much  as  I  can  as  soon  as  I  can." 

We  are  happy  to  hear  that  you  have  been  able  to  correlate 
with  the  force  sent  you;  for  it  is  only  those  who  have  some- 
thing within  themselves  that  is  attuned  to  the  special  note  of 
truth  sounded  by  this  Order  who  can  feel  the  sympathetic  vi- 
brations of  the  life-force  from  this  Center.  We  understand 
your  true  attitude  and  your  desire  to  help,  and,  as  you  know, 
love  and  sympathy  are  far  higher  and  more  lasting  helps  than 
money.  Still,  while  humanity  is  bound  on  the  wheel  of  the 
almighty  dollar,  it  is  impossible  to  do  anything  practical  to 
help  it,  such  as  sending  out  these  teachings,  without  the  physi- 
cal expression  of  interest  which  takes  the  form  of  financial  aid. 
We  know,  however,  that  you  will  do  all  you  can,  and  we  have 
no  fear  of  the  failure  of  the  work.  One  way  in  which  you  can 
help  is  to  hold  strongly  to  the  thought  of  financial  success  for 
the  Movement ;  for  it  must  place  its  feet  upon  the  earth  plane 
through  earthly  means,  and  every  one  who  recognizes  this  truth 
practically,  helps  more  than  he  can  understand. 

May  22nd,  1908. 

"I  am  being  led  into  new  and  wonderful  paths  as  fast  as  I 
am  able  to  understand  their  meaning,  but  I  must  KNOW  that 
it  IS  the  leading." 

As  to  your  just  demand  to  KNOW  if  this  Movement  is  the 
leading  you  are  seeking,  we  can  only  say  that  no  embodied  en- 
tity can  answer  that  question  for  another.  Each  Soul  must  de- 
cide for  itself  that  all-important  question.  If  you  ask  sincerely, 
in  The  Silence,  for  guidance,  and  if  it  is  the  real,  sincere  cry  of 
the  heart  for  help  and  light  that  goes  out,  verily  your  Father- 


30  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

in-Heaven  who  heareth  in  secret  shall  reward  you  openly.  Never 
has  a  sincere  cry  for  help  been  sent  out  in  The  Silence — where 
God  dwelleth — that  was  not  answered.  Just  as  soon  as  the  de- 
mand is  truly  voiced  and  put  into  definite  form,  yea  "  Before 
they  call,  I  will  answer;  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will 
hear/'  The  thing  to  do  is  to  recognize  the  answer  when  it 
comes.  That  YOU  must  do  for  yourself.  We  can  only  assure 
you  that  we  are  ready  and  willing  to  help  you ;  but  our  ability 
to  do  this  depends  upon  yourself.  If  you  want  what  we  can 
give,  it  is  yours :  if  for  some  reason  you  need  other  training  for 
a  time,  we  willingly  stand  aside  and  give  our  time  to  others 
who  are  hungry  for  the  food  that  is  given  us  by  the  Masters  to 
break  and  distribute.  It  is  only  five  loaves  and  two  small  fishes ; 
but  to  all  who  sit  down  and  partake  it  will  prove  sufficient 
and  satisfying. 

Jan.  5th,  1908. 

"I  certainly  'desire  to  progress*  and  therefore  shall  be  glad 
to  hear  further  concerning  that  of  which  the  circular  treats." 

We  appreciate  your  attitude  and  know  the  real  heart- 
hunger  for  growth  that  is  almost  fearful  lest  the  proffered  food 
prove  to  be  a  stone.  Only  your  own  intuition  can  help  you.  The 
table  is  spread ;  the  garment  is  ready,  and  we  invite  you  to  the 
feast.  Yea,  we  welcome  you ;  for  we  know  that  hunger  which 
nothing  but  spiritual  food  can  satisfy.  How  well  we  under- 
stand the  weary  disappointment  and  the  cry  of  your  heart, 
"How  long,  0  Lord?  How  long?"  No  longer,  my  son,  than 
you  yourself  hold  back.  Your  Father's  hand  reaches  out  to- 
ward you;  a  complete  happiness  and  satisfaction  is  yours  for 
the  picking  up.  "Ask  and  ye  shall  receive,  seek  and  ye  shall 
find."  There  is  no  death  but  disappointment  and  lost  ideals. 
Breathe  life  into  your  ideals,  new  life  and  hope.  Set  them  once 
more  upon  the  pedestal  and  determine  that  they  shall  be  im- 
bued with  life.  Nothing  is  lost  but  the  mere  husk  of  an  ideal; 
the  germ  is  still  there,  only  waiting  for  the  breath  of  love  to 
bring  it  forth  in  new  and  glorious  garments,  fit  for  the  wedding 
feast  of  thy  Soul. 

Jan.  16th,  1908. 

"I  have  not  been  ready  to  join  organizations  or  movements 
for  fear  that  they  might  not  be  what  I  needed." 

As  to  your  fear  that  you  are  wrong1  in  entering  this  Order, 
that  all  depends  upon  your  attitude.  There  is  always  one  way, 
and  one  teacher  who  can  best  help  each  Soul.  The  Soul  knows 


CONCERNING  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15.        31 

intuitively,  or  can  know  if  it  will  listen,  just  who  can  help  and 
just  what  way  is  best.  There  is  no  one  way  for  all.  Each  has 
peculiar  affinitizations  which  in  past  lives  have  laid  down  the 
lines  over  which  it  is  easier  for  helpful  force  to  be  drawn.  The 
injunction,  "Know  thyself "  included  this  point,  i.  e.  to  know 
intuitively  what  is  helpful  and  to  follow  that  leading  independ- 
ently of  what  any  other  may  think  or  say;  for  what  is  the  cor- 
rect line  for  you  may  be  all  wrong  for  your  neighbor.  Your 
letter  rings  true  and  sincere,  and  such  an  earnest  call  for  help 
never  remains  unanswered. 

April  9th,  1908. 

"I  do  not  know  what  you  mean  by  contributions  unless  it  is 
to  pay  for  the  lessons." 

A  thing  that  costs  you  nothing  is  valued  at  nothing.  Just 
in  proportion  to  the  real  love  and  sacrifice  will  be  the  value  to 
your  own  Soul.  In  other  words,  what  we  love  we  work  for, 
sacrifice  our  time  and  money  for.  And  out  of  those  things,  or 
their  inner  force,  is  our  character  built  up.  If  we  value  dress, 
earthly  gain,  self-indulgence  or  earthly  honors,  we  work  and 
sacrifice  for  them,  and  the  inner  force  that  creates  the  desire 
grows  into  our  character.  And  soon  we  have  either  a  frivolous, 
miserly,  inordinately  selfish  or  ambitious  character.  If  we  de- 
sire the  fruits  of  the  Spirit — love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  patience  and  humility — we  will  exert  our  every 
effort  for  them.  And  the  effort  thus  put  forth  will  ^row  into 
character ;  for  only  through  effort  can  we  ever  gain  them. 

You  do  not  PAY  for  the  lessons,  but  you  do  all  you  can  to 
help  on  the  work  in  whatever  way  you  can,  making  sacrifices 
of  time,  money  and  thought  if  you  love  it  and  really  mean  to 
build  into  your  character  "the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. " 

June  14th,  1908. 

"I  have  just  carefully  read  the  paper  on  NARCOTICS  and 
approve  of  it  so  much  that,  with  your  permission,  I  will  publish- 
most  of  it  in  the  magazine,  and  give  proper  credit." 

We  are  glad  the  paper  on  NARCOTICS  pleases  you.  None 
of  our  lessons  aim  to  be  a  complete  or  full  treatment  of  a  sub- 
ject. This  is  done  intentionally,  because  we  wish  not  only  to 
instruct,  but  to  stimulate  the  intuition  of  our  pupils  and  lead 
them  to  write  for  further  explanation ;  for  it  is  the  heart-cry — 
the  need  of  the  Soul — that  is  answered,  rather  than  the  words 
of  the  letter. 


32  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

May  28th. 

"I  desire  to  know  something  of  how  your  work  is  carried 
on  and  what  the  expense  of  membership  is." 

The  work  of  this  Order  is  carried  on  by  monthly  lessons 
and  by  personal  correspondence.  That  is,  all  students  are 
privileged  to  write  to  the  Teacher  of  the  Order  and  ask  ques- 
tions upon  points  either  in  the  lessons,  in  the  Bible  or  in  any 
other  teachings.  They  may  also  write  for  advice  in  regard  to 
their  spiritual  growth,  or  whenever  they  are  in  trouble  and  need 
help  and  sympathy.  Such  letters  form  a  direct  line  of  com- 
munication over  which  the  helpful  forces  from  this  Center 
can  flow  continually 

This  Movement  is  supported  entirely  by  voluntary  contri- 
butions; for  no  true  spiritual  teachings  can  be  bought  for  a 
price,  nor  can  they  be  withheld  from  any  sincere  seeker  who 
is  ready  for  them. 


PART     III. 
PRAYER. 

"Do  you  believe  that  if  there  really  did  not  exist  that  tie 
between  Man  and  his  Maker, — that  link  between  life  here  and 
life  hereafter  which  is  found  in  what  we  call  Soul,  alone, — that 
wherever  you  look  through  the  universe,  you  would  behold  a 
child  at  prayer?  Nature  inculcates  nothing  that  is  superfluous. 
Nature  does  not  impel  the  leviathan  or  the  lion,  the  eagle  or  the 
moth,  to  pray;  she  impels  only  man.  Why?  Because  man  only 
has  a  Soul,  and  Soul  seeks  to  commune  with  the  Everlasting, 
as  a  fountain  struggles  up  to  its  source."  Bulwer-Lytton,  in  A 
STRANGE  STORY. 

"Prayer  is  an  ennobling  action  when  it  is  an  intense  feeling, 
an  ardent  desire  rushing  forth  from  our  very  heart  for  the  good 
of  other  people,  and  when  entirely  detached  from  any  selfish 
personal  object;  the  craving  for  a  beyond  is  natural  and  holy  in 
man,  but  on  condition  of  sharing  that  bliss  with  others." 
Blavatsky,  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINE,  Vol.  III. 


34          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

May  22nd,  1908. 

"Though  the  daily  petition  for  physical  and  spiritual  sus- 
tenance may  be  well  adapted  for  those  developed  to  no  higher 
point  than  the  anthropomorphic  idea  of  Deity,  it  seems  to  me 
that,  once  the  consciousness  is  reached,  even  if  faint  and  imper- 
fect, that  Love  and  Power  are  our  divine  inheritance ;  ours  at  the 
mere  desire  and  will  to  use  them  (aright)  for  the  proper  re- 
flection upon  all  other  life  in  full  measure,  of  love  and  wisdom 
received  by  us,  is  not  the  cultivation  of  purity  in  love  and 
desire — next  on  the  program?  Thus  while  my  own  children,  as 
infants,  expressed  their  wants  or  needs,  so  soon  as  a  conscious- 
ness of  our  relationship  was  established,  the  necessity  for  such 
expression  ceased.  (How  much  sooner  had  I  been  omniscient!) 
So  too,  our  intercourse  is  one  of  mutual  love;  even  though 
mingled  with  discipline  and  obedience — not  one  of  petitions  and 
favors — this  is  for  masters  and  slaves." 

Your  idea  of  prayer  is  correct  as  far  as  it  goes;  but  it 
applies  only  to  prayer  as  generally  understood  and  practiced. 
There  is  but  one  universal  Law  governing  all  manifestations  of 
life,  from  molecule  to  cosmos,  and  this  works  with  mathemat- 
ical precision  through  fore-ordained  channels.  Hence  to  pray 
for  (get)  anything  you  must  obey  the  Law  and  seek  and  expect 
to  get  only  in  accordance  with  the  Law  through  these  natural 
channels.  The  Infinite  Spirit,  manifesting  as  Father-Mother- 
Love,  as  it  correlates  with  matter  must,  of  necessity,  work  with 
the  Law ;  for  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Lav/.  Matter,  being 
inert  and  dense,  is  opposed  to  Spirit  in  that  the  finer  vibrations 
of  Spirit  find  it  difficult  to  set  the  comparatively  inert  matter 
into  harmonious  vibration,  and  as  each  is  at  an  opposite  pole 
there  can  be  no  direct  contact  the  one  with  the  other.  Com- 
munication between  the  two  must  follow  the  regular,  lawful 
channels.  It  is  here  that  prayer,  in  its  true  conception,  comes 
in.  True  prayer  or  spiritual  aspiration  is  simply  a  correlating 
of  the  brain  and  physical  consciousness  with  the  spiritual,  thus 
creating  a  natural  channel  of  communication  through  which  the 
spiritual  force  can  flow.  In  other  words,  it  is  closing  the  cir- 
cuit. The  Will,  a  desire  for  spiritual  gifts,  and  a  constant  at- 
titude of  devotion  are  the  proper  channels ;  but  words,  medita- 
tion and  a  recognition  of  the  end  to  be  attained,  are  steps 
leading  to  the  opening  of  them. 

Prayer  is  a  channel  leading  to  the  attainment  of  the  fixed 
purpose  (desire  for  spiritual  gifts) ;  and  prayer,  Will  and 
spiritual  desire  are  steps  necessary  for  those  to  follow  who  have 
not  attained  that  perfect  control  over  the  whole  life, — mind, 


PRAYER.  35 

emotions  and  purpose — which  they  may  ultimately  attain. 
Those  who  have  attained  can  well  dispense  with  prayer;  but 
not  those  who  are  still  striving.  Prayer  is  the  Jacob's  ladder, 
one  end  resting  on  earth,  the  other  reaching  into  heaven.  If 
you  have  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  ladder  you  no  longer  have 
need  of  it;  but  it  would  be  cruel  to  cut  away  the  ladder  by 
which  you  had  climbed  when  so  many  eager  Souls  are  clinging 
to  its  rungs. 

When  your  sons  and  daughters  were  young  you  expected 
them  to  ask  for  what  they  thought  necessary,  even  though  you 
in  your  wisdom  did  not  grant  it;  but  when  they  had  grown  to 
the  age  of  discretion  you  were  content  that  they  should  hold 
an  attitude  of  respectful  love  and  obedience.  Until  you  have 
attained  to  YOUR  Father's  stature  in  spiritual  growth  He  ex- 
pects you  to  ask  for  what  you  think  necessary,  even  though 
He  in  His  Wisdom  does  not  grant  it.  Prayer  is  but  the  asking. 

To  pray  for  assistance  is,  if  rightly  understood,  merely  to 
recognize  the  inflowing  of  Divine  Love  and  to  struggle  to  make 
a  place  for  it.  To  ask  for  guidance  is  but  to  take  hold  of  the 
power  of  Divinity  as  a  little  child  grasps  its  father's  hand. 
The  child  does  not  say,  "Father,  give  me  bread  and  clothing 
and  houseroom;"  for  all  that  is  its  birthright;  but  it  is  quite 
right  to  come  to  its  father  with  its  difficulties,  its  lessons  and 
its  little  tumbles  and  bruises  and  ask  for  sympathy  and  help. 
Altho  the  child  must  fight  its  own  way  through  life  you  would 
be  a  cruel  father  to  refuse  a  helpful  talk  if  it  poured  into  your 
ears  a  tale  of  difficulty  and  discouragement,  or  to  refuse  sym- 
pathy when  it  was  bruised  or  wounded. 

A  most  erroneous  idea  of  Omniscience  prevails.  Consider 
it  as  perfect  Law.  Omniscience  is  All-knowing,  and  expresses 
itself  perfectly  in  all  minutia,  even  though  we  may  not  recog- 
nize that  they  are  perfect  expressions  of  the  conditions.  To  be- 
come one  with  The  Law  is  to  have  fulfilled  it.  Jesus  came  not 
to  destroy,  but  to  fulfill  it  through  the  power  of  The  Christ. 

March  20th,  1909. 
"Healing  prayer   can  be   used,   with  the  sanction   of  the 

higher  nature,  only  as  a  preventive  of  further  mistakes 

To  make  the  cure  of  disease  the  object  of  prayer  is  a  degrada- 
tion of  this  high  power." 

Prayer,  meditation  and  YOGA  are  all  the  same  thing,  the 
names  differing  according  to  the  country  you  are  in.  But,  my 
son,  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  a  grave  misconception 


36  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

which  you,  in  company  with  many  other  students,  have  fallen. 
Evil  Karma  is  not  punishment,  neither  is  it  fatality.  It  is  the 
result  of  inharmony — a  something  wrong — a  law  broken  that 
must  be  adjusted.  And  until  such  adjustment  is  made  more  or 
less  suffering  must  be  experienced.  It  is  like  a  splinter  in  a 
tender  spot.  The  spot  will  fester  until  the  splinter  is  removed, 
but  would  you  think  it  wise  to  allow  the  spot  to  fester  until  by 
the  sloughing  of  the  surrounding  tissues  the  splinter  was  elim- 
inated? Or  would  a  wise  physician  use  his  higher  powers  (his 
trained  intelligence)  to  remove  the  splinter  at  once  and  allow 
the  spot  to  heal?  Again,  a  wheel  has  become  flattened  on  one 
side  and  runs  with  great  friction  and  jarring,  throwing  out  of 
gear  all  parts  of  the  engine.  This,  no  doubt,  is  bad  Karma  from 
bad  usage ;  but  the  engineer  is  fully  justified  in  using  his  higher 
powers  to  have  the  defect  remedied  at  once.  Thus  it  is  with  the 
HEALING  PRAYER1  as  we  give  it  to  you.  The  earnest  repe- 
tition of  it,  with  an  effort  to  grasp  its  real  significance,  arouses 
in  the  consciousness  a  realization  of  what  is  wrong.  You  recog- 
nize the  Divine  Creative  Force  of  Love — The  Christ  Power — and 
the  instant  such  a  recognition  is  made  the  splinter  is  removed, 
the  defective  machine  repaired  and  atonement  is  made ;  for  The 
Christ  has  spoken,  ' '  Go  and  sin  no  more, ' ' 

Much  that  is  called  prayer  is  but  selfish  sanctimoniousness 
glazed  over.  To  make  the  cure  of  a  condition  the  object  with- 
out a  recognition  of  The  Law,  or  to  debase  the  force  for  per- 
sonal ends,  especially  to  get  money  through  the  gullibility  of 
the  weak  and  suffering,  IS  NOT  PRAYER  AT  ALL,  and  there- 
fore does  not  enter  into  the  discussion. 

April  9th,  1908. 

"The  prayer  on  HEALING  sent  last  month  and  the  MORN- 
ING PRAYER1  for  this  month  seem  to  me  to  be  two  extremes 
of  thought,  one  making  life  here  automatic,  the  other  assuming 

too   much  individual  power When   I  was  confronted 

during  the  day  with  two  aged  women,  both  homeless,  and  I 
absolutely  had  not  a  place  to  send  them  but  the  almshouse,  the 
words  that  I  had  uttered  in  the  morning,  'I  can  conquer  all  that 

comes  to  me  today/  seemed  to  grin  at  me  in  mockery. 

The  effect  of  the  above  mentioned  prayers  would  probably  cause 
either  complete  self-depreciation,  or  excessive  self-appreciation." 

All  manifestations  of  life,  from  molecule  to  cosmos,  are  ex- 
pressed in  a  circle.  .If  you  will  let  your  mind  dwell  on  this 

1  See   Appendix. 
1  Bee  Appendix. 


f  <-*•    THE  \ 

I   UNIVERSITY 

\  &          / 

X^AUFOgg^      PRAYER.  37 

fact  for  a  moment  you  will,  in  fact  must,  admit  that  a  circle 
has  no  beginning  and  no  end,  hence  no  extremes.  "  Extremes 
meet, "  is  an  aphorism  of  daily  life,  and  like  all  such  is  founded 
on  a  rock  of  spiritual  truth.  The  two  prayers  you  are  troubled 
about  stand  as  examples  of  this  underlying  principle ;  self  de- 
preciation from  the  viewpoint  of  the  lower,  personal  self;  self 
appreciation  from  the  outlook  of  the  Real  Self.  Both  are  true 
and  the  force  from  each  flows  eternally  round  and  round  the 
circle  of  manifestation.  When  one  is  spending  all  his  energy 
in  work  upon  the  outer  rim  of  the  circle  as  you  are,  it  is  im- 
possible to  see  all  the  way  around.  So  when  confronted  with 
earth  misery  which  you  are  unable  to  alleviate,  discouragement 
and  a  feeling  of  helplessness  is  inevitable.  Could  you  but  for  a 
moment  transfer  your  activities  to  the  center  of  the  circle  you 
would  at  once  realize  that  the  animating  force  that  keeps  this 
circle  of  manifestation  in  being  comes  from  the  central  point 
and  is  distributed  equally  to  all  parts  of  the  circle — is  the  One 
Life.  Working  from  this  central  point  discouragement  is  im- 
possible; for  at  once  knowledge  comes  to  you  that  all  is  well; 
that  they  too,  the  indigent,  the  helpless  and  homeless  are  in  the 
stream;  that  the  great  Heart  of  Love  holds  them  within  Its 
sheltering  folds,  and  that  It  does  not  depend  upon  your  per- 
sonal ability  to  place  them;  that  your  Father-in-Heaven  (the 
Great  Creative  Force  of  Love)  has  already  placed  them  where 
they  must  remain  UNTIL  THEY  HAVE  LEARNED  A  NEED- 
ED LESSON.  Your  compassion  and  pity  for  them  is  but  cold 
and  harsh  in  comparison  with  the  yearning  tenderness  of  the 
Masters  of  Compassion — of  the  Loving  Christ,  who  would  not 
that  any  perish  but  that  all  have  eternal  life.  They  know  that 
time  and  place  are  but  motes  in  the  sunbeam,  and  They  love 
with  enough  intensity  to  wait  patiently  until  the  lessons  are 
learned  and  the  sisters,  now  so  poor  and  ill,  can  be  clothed  with 
His  righteousness  as  with  a  garment,  and  sit  down  with  Him 
at  the  marriage  feast. 

This  does  not  at  all  decry  the  necessity  for  outer  work — 
caring  for  the  desolate  ones,  "For  in  as  much  as  ye  have  done 
it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  ye  have  done  it  unto  me. ' '  But 
it  does  mean  that  you  are  to  "Work  as  those  work  who  are  am- 
bitious" to  lift  all  the  world  into  better  physical  conditions, 
yet  you  are  to  "Kill  out  ambition"  and  know  that  all  is  well. 
If  you  have  done  your  best  let  it  rest  there.  Be  strong  enough 


38  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

to  stand  aside  and  see  the  workings  of  the  Lord  (The  Law) 
and  like  a  little  child  say  "Thy  will  be  done/'  knowing  that 
the  will  is  to  emancipate  all  from  sin  and  sorrow.  But  the  only 
path  is  the  one  that  teaches  through  experience,  and  there  is 
more  joy  in  heaven  over  ONE  SINNER  that  repenteth — who 
has  learned  his  lesson — than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons 
who  need  no  repentance — who  are  satisfied. 

The  Shining  Ones  are  all  the  time  creating  and  building  for 
each  and  every  Soul  the  immortal  habitation  (spiritual  body) 
in  which  that  Soul  will  find  ultimate  liberation,  and  if  the  ma- 
terial out  of  which  that  body  must  be  built  can  only  be  obtained 
by  tearing  to  pieces  and  destroying  old  earthly  habitations 
(physical  bodies)  in  which  the  personality  has  become  en- 
tangled, They  will  not  hesitate  to  tear  down  and  destroy.  At 
the  end  of  it  all — when  the  lessons  are  learned  and  the  Soul  sits 
down  at  the  Father's  table — do  you  think  a  residence  of  a  few 
short,  mortal  years  in  an  almshouse  will  in  any  way  detract 
from  their  joy? 


PART    IV. 
THE  ASTRAL  PLANE. 

"Thou  canst  not  call  that  madness  of  which  thou  art  proved 
to  know  nothing."  Tertullian,  APOLOGY. 

"The  astral  influences  are  invisible,  but  they  act  upon  man, 
unless  he  knows  how  to  protect  himself  against  them.  Heat  and 
light  are  intangible  and  incorporeal;  nevertheless,  they  act  upon 
man,  and  the  same  takes  place  with  other  invisible  influences." 
Paracelsus. 


40  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

April  28th,  1908. 

"What  IS  the  astral  plane?  Is  it  a  place  or  locality  in  any 
sense  at  all? With  all  the  evidence  of  the  substan- 
tiality of  the  astral  plane,  when  we  try  to  prove  things  it  at  once 
becomes  unsubstantial.  I  can  find  no  landmarks;  I  cannot  even 
prove  whether  the  beings  are  external  to  ourselves  or  are  cre- 
ations of  our  own  brain,  made  of  the  same  stuff  as  are  our 
thoughts — dramatizations  of  our  thoughts — yet  this  solution 
does  not  seem  true  when  checked  up  by  all  the  facts.  What  then 
is  real?" 

The  astral  plane  is  not  a  place  or  locality,  but  a  state  or 
condition.  To  quote  from  one  author :  "It  cannot  be  measured 
in  three  dimensions,  and  yet  it  is  capable  of  measurement  by 
degrees  in  the  scale  of  vibrations.  These  states  or  degrees  of 
vibrations  interpenetrate  each  other  without  interference,  in 
which  peculiarity  they  have  correspondence  or  analogies  in 
physical  phenomena.  For  instance,  a  dozen  or  more  currents  of 
electricity  may  pass  along  the  same  wire,  at  the  same  time, 
without  interfering  with  each  other,  and  may  then  register 
each  on  its  special  instrument,  providing  that  the  rate  of  tension 
or  vibration  be  different  in  each  case. ' ' 

The  only  reality  is  spiritual  consciousness,  the  One  Life; 
all  else  is  but  varying  degrees  of  expression  of  the  One  Life. 
These  expressions  are  cognizable  through  vibrations  affecting 
organs  attuned  to  receive  them.  Hence  the  densest  matter  or 
slowest  vibration  is  the  physical  expression  of  consciousness, 
and  we  are  apt  to  call  this  REALITY  when  in  fact  it  is  the 
least  real,  because  least  permanent,  of  all.  Try  to  realize  that 
what  appears  to  you  as  real  is  but  the  greatly  slowed  down 
vibrations  of  the  One  Life,  matter  being  but  retarded  motion 
and  in  truth  ever  changing,  transitory  and  evanescent.  This  is 
easily  proven,  for  if  the  experience  of  merely  holding  a  little 
paper  of  a  certain  drug  to  your  head,  as  you  describe,  could  so 
change  the  rate  of  vibration  of  the  molecules  of  your  sense  or- 
gans that  they  not  longer  responded  to  the  vibrations  of  physi- 
cal matter  (for  you  it  no  longer  existed),  but  quickened  their 
rate  until  you  were  responding  to  the  vibrations  of  a  different 
world  just  as  real  to  you  then  as  the  physical  was,  you  have 
proved  the  matter  in  your  own  experience.  If  you  will  think 
this  simple  example  over  we  feel  sure  you  will  understand,  in  a 
way  that  no  number  of  words  could  tell  you,  just  where  the 
astral  world  is,  and  also  who  and  what  are  its  denizens.  It  is 
simply  the  next  higher  note  in  the  scale  of  vibration,  and  its 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  41 

entities  are  those  whose  bodies  vibrate  in  harmony  with  that 
note.  Their  senses  respond  to  those  rates  as  readily  as  yours 
do  to  those  of  this  plane,  and  hence  it  is  just  as  real  to  them  as 
this  is  to  you.  Therefore,  the  astral  world  is  around  and  within 
you,  interpenetrating  the  physical.  The  different  parts  of  you 
— astral,  mental,  spiritual  bodies  etc. — each  function  upon  its 
own  plane.  That  is,  your  astral  body  is  now  and  all  the  time 
functioning  upon  the  astral  plane,  while  the  higher  principles, 
which  connect  you  with  the  key-note  of  your  existence  and  vi- 
brate to  its  rate,  are  in  the  spiritual  realm.  Your  experiences 
vary  with  the  plane  or  state  of  consciousness  in  which  the  Ego 
is  functioning.  The  dense  particles  of  your  physical  brain  vi- 
brate to  the  rates  of  the  physical  and  ordinarily  confine  your 
consciousness  to  that  plane.  But  you,  yourself,  have  proven 
how  easy  it  is  to  transfer  your  consciousness  and  respond  to 
the  vibrations  of  other  planes.  The  path  is  not  a  public  high- 
way, but  is,  nevertheless,  a  well  trodden  one  and  easily  found 
by  those  who  know. 

All  that  exists  is  substance,  but  in  different  rates  of  vibra- 
tion. One  is  no  more  real  than  the  other;  for  with  whatever 
rate  your  consciousness  is  vibrating  that  rate  is  real  as  long  as 
the  consciousness  functions  there.  Persons  who  function  con- 
sciously in  the  astral — such  functioning  being  possible  because 
they  have  dropped  their  denser  instruments — taken  off  their 
overcoats,  as  it  were — are  just  men  and  women  using  bodies 
and  senses  attuned  to  that  state  of  matter  instead  of  to  the 
slower,  denser,  physical  matter.  Hence,  since  their  range  of 
response  to  vibration  is  wider,  their  limitations  are  less  binding 
and  less  hampering.  This  accounts,  too,  for  their  limited 
knowledge,  altho  to  those  still  on  the  earth  plane  it  may  seem 
great.  It  is  unlawful  to  pass  the  barrier  because  the  Law  of 
Vibration  forbids.  Even  those  upon  the  astral  reach  a  point 
where  they  cannot  respond  to  a  still  higher  rate  of  vibration 
and  they  are  limited  unless  they  can  receive  teachings  from 
those  who  have  reached  into  still  more  spiritual  vibrations  and 
have  gained  deeper  knowledge.  All  this,  however,  can  lawfully 
be  accomplished  by  the  true  disciple,  even  while  still  upon  the 
earth  plane.  The  astral  is  but  the  Hall  of  Learning.  Being  the 
nearest  to  the  earth  it  is  the  easiest  to  reach;  but  man,  being 
essentially  a  Divine  Being,  has  the  power,  by  uniting  his  lower 
mind  to  his  spiritual  consciousness— becoming  one  with  his 


42         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

Father-in-Heaven — to  raise  his  lower  vibrations  until  they  are 
attuned  to  those  of  the  One  Mind  or  God,  and  bring  back  His 
wisdom  through  all  the  realms.  This  is  what  we  are  here  to 
learn,  i.  e.  the  powers  and  possibilities  of  vibration.  "Man 
know  thyself. ' ' 

All  states  are  real  and  exist  as  long  as  the  consciousness 
holds  you  there.  The  Soul,  as  we  have  already  said,  being  an 
expression  of  the  one  Great  Reality,  is  always  real,  and  through 
the  real  vibrations  of  mind-substance  creates  a  reality  out  of 
whatever  it  believes,  i.  e.  heaven,  hell,  etc.  That  is  what  your 
Soul  is  doing  now.  in  regard  to  the  physical  plane.  From  the 
standpoint  of  any  higher  plane  physical  existence  is  the  most 
stupid  kind  of  sleep,  trance  or  stupor,  i.  e.  limitation  of  your 
Divine  powers. 

The  adjustment  of  Karma  is  brought  about  consciously 
through  spiritual  attainment.  The  Soul  in  some  one  life  reaches 
the  outermost  rim  of  the  Spiral  of  Life  and  meets  the  Saturn 
force — immobility,  stability — and  conquers  it.  Then,  in  full 
willingness,  desires  to  go  back  and  pay  up  all  its  debts,  even 
those  which  have  remained  over  from  many  lives.  But  while 
such  an  one  is  reaping  all  sorts  of  things  belonging  to  his  old 
karmic  conditions  he,  nevertheless,  has  with  him  the  power  of 
the  Conqueror.  That  is,  he  KNOWS  that  these  things  cannot 
overcome  him ;  he  is  above  them ;  he  is  in  them  but  is  not  over- 
come by  them;  he  has  become  a  philosopher  and  can,  like 
Epictetus,  be  dragged  through  the  streets  in  chains  and  still 
maintain  his  peaceful  calm. 

It  is  always  wrong  to  force  any  growth.  All  steps  are 
necessary.  Until  you  have  found  the  spiritual  perfection  of 
each  step  you  cannot  pass  it;  and  if  you  skip  one  you  must  come 
back  and  take  it  up  later. 

March  5th,  1908. 

"Does  the  soul  remain  in  the  same  state  after  death  or  does 
it  pass  through  various  conditions?" 

The  astral  plane  is  divided  into  seven  degrees  or  states, 
called  "spheres"  by  the  Spiritualists  (most  of  whom  know  very 
little  of  anything  beyond  these  seven  degrees),  the  lowest  of 
which  is  very  close  to  the  earth.  It  is  in  this  astral  plane — 
with  its  seven  degrees  each  divided  into  seven  orders  and  each 
order  into  seven  sub-orders — that  the  Soul  works  out,  or  real- 
izes all  its  earthly  desires.  If  the  desires  were  evil,  the  experi- 
ences will  be  evil;  if  the  desires  were  good,  the  experiences  will 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  43 

be  good,  and  the  Soul  will  finally  realize  just  how  futile  are  the 
merely  earthly  desires.  Some  remain  on  the  astral  for  long 
periods  of  time,  five  hundred  years  and  more,  and  finally  enter 
the  psychic  plane  (Soul-plane)  by  dropping  the  astral  body 
just  as  the  one  of  flesh  was  dropped,  but  generally  without  the 
same  terror.  There  they  pass  through  its  degrees  and  orders 
until  they  have  realized  the  very  highest  that  they  have  ever 
conceived  of.  That  is,  every  spiritual  aspiration  has  its  realiza- 
tion and  there  is  a  garnering  of  the  experiences  of  the  earth 
life.  Then  there  comes  a  time  when  the  Soul  realizes  that  it  has 
experienced  all  it  knows  of  spiritual  happiness  and  that  there 
are  still  heights  beyond.  It  realizes  that  it  must  get  more  ex- 
perience so  that  it  can  gain  higher  comprehension  and  higher 
aspiration.  Then  its  desire  for  further  experience  causes  it  to 
die  to  that  plane  and  reincarnate  on  the  earth  plane;  but  not  to 
obtain  happiness  on  earth,  for  it  has  realized  that  spiritual 
happiness  must  be  born  of  earthly  experience;  must  be  the 
aroma  of  self-sacrifice  and  sorrow.  Its  only  desire  is  to  gain 
more  experience  that  it  may  learn  higher  lessons  and  so  assimi- 
late or  gain  more  spiritual  growth  and  draw  nearer  to  the  All 
through  the  spiritualizing  and  redeeming  of  the  atoms  compos- 
ing its  various  bodies.  When  this  point  is  reached  it  chooses 
its  own  earth  life  according  to  its  needs.  And  from  that  lofty 
point  the  Soul  chooses  just  the  conditions  which  will  teach  it 
the  lessons  it  has  found  itself  lacking  in.  However,  it  soon  for- 
gets this  when  incarnated  in  the  physical  body  and  forced  to 
express  itself  through  an  untrained  physical  brain,  and  it  has 
to  learn  the  lessons  through  sorrow  and  suffaring.  Indeed, 
they  would  not  be  lessons  if  the  personality  could  remember. 
But  the  Higher  Self  (the  Soul)  always  hovers  over  the  person- 
ality trying  to  impress  upon  it  these  great  truths.  We  would 
advise  you,  if  possible,  to  obtain  some  Theosophical  primers  and 
read  as  much  as  you  can  along  the  fundamental  lines. 

June  27th,  1908.  / 

"Why  cannot  the  Agent  of  this  Order  communicate  with 

and  bring  me  a  message  from. who  has  recently  passed 

out,  and  tell  me  if  he  is  satisfied  with  the  condition  in  which  he 
left  his  affairs?" 

Your  letter  shows  that  you  have  no  very  cloar  understand- 
ing of  the  law  governing  communication  with  higher  planes. 
The  difference  between  spiritual  communication  and  subjective 
mediumship  is  a  difference  of  vibration.  The  only  right  way  to 


44  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

contact  the  higher  planes  is  to  raise  the  vibrations  of  your  phys- 
ical body  and  its  centers  until  they  vibrate  in  harmony  with  the 
key-note  of  the  higher  planes,  at  which  pitch  "no  evil  thing  can 
come  near  thy  dwelling."  On  the  one  hand — spiritual  commu- 
nication— the  psychic,  through  spiritual  living,  loving  thoughts 
and  helpful  actions  in  many  lives,  has  built  into  his  or  her  char- 
acter enough  of  the  Divine  Principle  of  Compassion  for  all 
humanity,  to  raise  the  vibrations  of  the  physical  body,  either 
temporarily  or  continuously,  to  the  note  of  spiritual  love  to 
which  the  Masters  of  Compassion  naturally  vibrate.  As  we  can 
only  become  aware  of  a  thing  when  some  part  of  our  organism 
responds  to  its  vibrations,  the  psychic  must  have  the  proper  de- 
velopment to  come  into  harmony  with  the  spiritual  plane  ere  he 
can  contact  the  Masters  or  respond  to  things  which  touch  upon 
or  vibrate  within  the  octave  of  Their  key-note.  And  such  a 
psychic  would  be  unable  to  respond  to  the  vibrations  of  the 
lower  astral  plane  except  under  special  conditions  which  we 
will  explain  later. 

On  the  other  hand — subjective  mediumship — the  psychic, 
through  various  means,  either  mentally  by  stilling  the  thoughts, 
or  physically  by  various  YOGI  practices  such  as  gazing  at  a 
crystal,  a  black  spot,  or  sitting  in  a  constrained  position; 
through  breathing  exercises  and  many  other  still  more  objec- 
tionable practices, — has  gained  the  power  of  stilling  the  phys- 
ical vibrations  and  becoming  negative.  In  such  a  state  the 
physical  atoms,  not  being  held  together  by  the  vibratory 
rhythm  to  which  they  naturally  respond,  slow  down  and  fly  off 
to  such  an  extent  that  any  discarnate  entity  clothed  in  atoms  of, 
and  vibrating  to  the  note  of,  the  astral  plane — which  is  next  to, 
and  in  its  lower  degrees  overlaps  the  earth  plane — can  gather 
up  and  clothe  himself  in  sufficient  of  the  physical  atoms  thus 
thrown  off  to  temporarily  vibrate  to  the  key-note  of  the  phys- 
ical plane  and  become  temporarily  recognizable  on  that  plane. 

In  the  first  instance  the  whole  desire  of  the  psychic  is  to 
uplift  humanity;  he  is  filled  with  compassion  for  the  Race  and 
desires  to  give  himself  as  a  willing  sacrifice  to  bring  enlighten- 
ment to  the  world. .  The  Teachers  and  Masters  whom  he  con- 
tacts do  not  see  the  little  individual  difficulties,  or,  if  They  de, 
They  understand  The  Law  and  know  that  all  is  working  out  for 
the  best;  that  the  only  Wisdom  can  really  help.  Given  Wisdom, 
Love  and  sustaining  help,  the  disciples  can,  and  indeed  must, 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  45 

work  out  their  own  personal  problems,  as  Paul  says:  "Work 
out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. ' '  All  spirit- 
ual communication  is  uplifting,  and  the  spiritual  atoms  which 
the  psychic  has  contacted  and  draw^i  into  his  body  will  rejuve- 
nate and  strengthen  the  physical,  uplift  the  mental  and  advance 
him  on  The  Path  of  Spiritual  Attainment. 

In  the  second  instance,  by  giving  up  the  command  over  the 
life  forces  and  throwing  open  the  doors  of  the  sacred  centers, 
the  vitality  is  drawn  upon  and  the  atoms  thrown  off  are  used 
to  bring  to  the  physical  plane  the  denizens  of  the  astral.  These 
may  be  pure  or  vile,  and  are  attracted  to  the  medium  in  exact 
ratio  to  the  state  of  the  atoms  which  he  or  she  gives  off  during 
the  negative  "sitting/'  If  you  understand  this,  and  the  fact 
that  most  of  the  entities  contacted  upon  the  astral  plane  ARE 
NOT  SPIRITUAL  BEINGS,  but  merely  men  and  women  with 
their  most  dense  and  outer  garment  (the  physical  body)  re- 
moved, you  will  understand  the  danger  of  giving  yourself  up 
to  their  use.  Since  they  are  using  astral  senses  they  can  see 
farther  ahead  than  those  on  the  earth  plane,  but  such  advice  as 
they  have  to  give  should  be  taken  just  as  you  would  take  the 
advice  of  any  earthly  friend — subject  to  your  own  good  judg- 
ment and  common  sense.  Usually  such  entities  are  interested 
in  the  daily  life  of  the  sitters,  but,  if  evilly  disposed,  they  can 
and  do  often  deceive.  In  no  case— unless  they  are  Masters,  in 
which  case  they  will  manifest  quite  differently,  as  we  will  ex- 
plain later — are  they  any  different  from  the  people  on  earth, 
except  that  they  are  functioning  in  a  body  composed  of  finer 
matter.  They  can  only  come  to  earth  as  they  left  it,  i.  e.  clothed 
in  physical  atoms ;  and  the  fact  that  to  manifest  on  the  physical 
plane  they  must  steal  physical  atoms  from  the  medium  and  sit- 
ters, is  proof  positive  of  this.  Often  their  desire  is  to  help  al- 
leviate earthly  conditions ;  but  their  advice,  while  valuable  in 
many  cases,  is  still  in  accord  with  worldly  standards.  They  de- 
sire to  help  their  friends  out  of  difficulties,  over  hard  places, 
and  often  give  advice  which  helps  to  make  money  out  of  the 
credulity  of  their  fellow  men.  This,  as  you  can  see,  but  helps 
to  sink  the  Race  deeper  into  the  mire  of  earthly  affairs.  The 
first  is  the  CONSTRUCTIVE,  the  second  the  DESTRUCTIVE 
method  of  communication. 

You  cannot  always  tell  which  of  the  above  mentioned 
methods  has  been  used  by  the  teachings  received;  for  even  in 
subjective  mediumship  the  teaching  may  be  of  a  highly  moral 


46          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

character  just  as  some  friend  might  give  you  a  highly  moral 
address.  But  no  matter  who  the  entity  CLAIMS  to  be,  he  will 
NOT  be  a  Master  of  Wisdom;  for  no  Master  of  the  Right  Hand 
Path  ever  uses  that  method.  In  this  case  it  is  not  a  question  of 
WHAT  teachings  are  given,  but  HOW  they  are  given. 

One  absolute  test  as  to  which  method  a  psychic  is  using, 
and  from  whence  the  messages  come,  is  the  effect  on  his  phys- 
ical body.  In  spiritual  communication  the  psychic  is  clothed 
upon  by  spiritual  atoms  which  self  effacement  and  compassion 
have  drawn  to  him,  and  he  grows  more  spiritual.  If  after  the 
experience  his  vitality  is  augmented  and  a  peaceful,  happy  and 
vigorous  feeling  remains,  even  for  days  afterward;  if  life  seems 
fuller,  trials  easier  to  bear  and  love  more  abundant,  you  can 
rest  assured  that  he  has  risen  above  earthly  things  and  has  been 
clothed  upon  by  the  Spirit,  and  has  brought  back  lessons  for  the 
benefit  of  humanity.  This  is  the  form  of  communion  with  the 
higher  planes  that  should  be  desired.  But  do  not  strive  for  it; 
let  it  come  as  a  natural  growth  resulting  from  a  life  filled  with 
loving,  unselfish  thoughts  and  deeds. 

In  subjective  mediumship,  however,  owing  to  the  loss  of 
physical  atoms  and  vitality,  the  psychic  is  depleted  and  weak- 
ened, and  soon  shows  it,  not  only  in  bodily  health,  but  also  in 
mental  power.  His  nervous  system  is  enervated,  his  mentality 
is  dulled  and  a  great  stumbling  block  has  been  placed  in  his 
path.  If  after  communicating,  the  psychic  is  exhausted,  tired, 
nervous,  cross,  fretful  and  uneasy,  even  for  days,  you  can  rest 
assured  that  he  has  allowed  some  astral  entity  to  absorb  his 
vitality  and  contact  him  by  the  second  and  DESTRUCTIVE 
method. 

The  exception  we  mentioned  was  that  there  are  on  the 
higher  planes  regular  schools  of  learning,  presided  over  by  the 
Masters  of  Wisdom.  Many  persons  who  pass  on  with  but  a 
slight  knowledge  of  the  Wisdom-Religion,  but  with  an  intense 
desire  to  work  for  the  upliftment  of  humanity — (quite  different 
from  helping  their  friends  in  temporal  affairs),  are  brought 
into  such  schools  and  are  taught  to  work  consciously  on  those 
planes,  both  gathering  together  and  helping  any  who,  when 
they  pass  on,  n3ed  help  of  that  kind.  By  the  permission  of  the 
Masters,  and  under  Their  direction,  such  workers  can  come 
into  touch  with  the  selected  workers  of  the  Masters  on  the  earth 
plane.  They  can  enter  the  aura  of  THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15 


THE    ASTRAL  PLANE.  47 

on  earth  because  both  they  and  the  physical  plane  Agents  re- 
spond to  the  same  spiritual  vibrations  from  the  Masters  of  the 
Order.  An  earthly  Agent  does  not  communicate  with  the  astral 
plane,  but  is  clothed  with  spiritual  atoms,  and  hence  can  com- 
municate only  with  one  who  responds  to  the  same  vibrations, 
not  with  any  ordinary  person  who  has  just  passed  out.  A 
psychic  who  has  been  chosen  by  the  Masters  and  especially 
trained  to  do  Their  work  on  earth  is  carefully  guarded.  An 
auric  veil  is  thrown  over  him  which  deters  discarnate  entities 
from  approaching,  except  by  the  normal  route,  i.  e.  they  can 
be  permitted,  if  it  is  thought  necessary,  to  transmit  a  message 
through  one  of  the  before-mentioned  trained  workers  on  the 
astral  plane,  but  in  no  other  way.  They  cannot  come  into  direct 
touch  unless  the  Agent  is  disobedient  and  perversely  throws 
open  the  door  and  scatters  physical  atoms  in  sufficient  quantity 
for  the  disembodied  one  to  create  a  temporary  covering  and 
contact  them.  In  such  a  case  even  the  Masters  cannot  protect 
such  an  Agent  from  the  consequent  evil  results. 

April  llth,  1908. 

"Have  often  tried  to  follow  the  advice  of  entities  on  the 
astral  plane  who  seemed  friendly  and  desirous  of  helping  me, 
but  have  generally  been  misled  or  they  have  been  unable  to  ful- 
fill their  promises.  The  mediums  themselves  have  frequently 
been  misled.  Why  is  this?" 

In  your  case  we  wish  to  advise  you  most  seriously  to  keep 
away  from  mediums.  You,  yourself,  have  all  the  psychic  quali- 
fications necessary,  and  your  centers  are  already  dangerously 
unguarded  to  the  denizens  of  the  astral  plane.  Even  when  such 
entities  are  friendly  and  wish  to  help  you,  they  are  still  under 
the  bondage  of  Karma  and  are  not  permitted  to  do  anything  for 
you  that  would  interfere  with  your  working  out  your  lessons. 
They  mean  to  help  you,  but  are  purposely  prevented;  for  if 
they  fulfilled  their  promises  you  would  once  more  be  enchained 
in  the  astral  meshes  through  which  it  is  your  present  great  task 
to  break.  That  is,  YOU  must  be  the  Ruler,  and  must  open  and 
shut  the  doors  of  your  inner  centers  at  your  own  will.  Then 
such  entities  will  prove  themselves  your  obedient  servants  and 
helpers ;  but  they  are  not  for  one  moment  to  be  permitted  to  be 
your  guides. 

April  llth,  1908. 

"That  which  I  have  received  from  you  answers  all  doubts  I 
had.  And  after  re-reading  your  letter  of  the  4th  instant  I  could 
not  help  exclaiming,  'How  wonderful  it  is  that  such  teachings 


48  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

arc  offered  me.' My  occult  record  and  experience  con- 
tains points  that  I  cannot  definitely  determine  in  my  own  mind 
as  being  actual  or  imaginative.  Apparently  I  have  conversed 
with  elementals,  with  kama-rupas,  and  with  the  shells  of  the 
multitude  and  of  high  statesmen,  with  Adepts  and  with  the  gods 
of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome.  Speaking  of  those  I  have  met 
from  the  other  side,  one  day  a  man  asked  me  to  help  him  out  of 
hades.  I  said,  'In  the  name  of  God  arise  and  pass  into  a  happier 
world.'  And  as  I  watched,  the  man  looked  up,  his  face  bright- 
ened as  he  saw  a  gateway,  and  with  glorified  countenance  he 
passed  through  it.  The  next  day  two  others  applied  to  me  for 
release.  In  a  few  days  there  was  a  row  of  6  to  12  waiting  for 
me  every  time  I  approached  the  astral  plane.  Did  I  do  right  in 
helping  them?" 

Your  whole  trouble  is  that  you  are  the  reincarnation  of  an 
old  Atlantean,  and  are  now  working  out  the  culminating  ex- 
periences of  all  your  past  incarnations — finishing  up  odds  and 
ends  as  it  were.  If  the  Soul  were  obliged  to  reap  all  the  Karma 
in  one  life  that  it  had  generated  in  the  last  preceding  life  there 
would  be  neither  time  nor  opportunity  for  progress.  Therefore, 
the  Lords  of  Light  hold  back  a  certain  percentage  from  each 
life,  and  manipulate  the  currents  of  force  so  that  a  chance  is 
given  the  Soul  to  learn  the  main  lesson  of  the  last  earth  life  and 
at  the  same  time  have  an  opportunity  to  gain  entirely  new  ex- 
periences. But,  before  final  liberation  can  come,  each  Soul 
must,  of  its  own  choice,  take  up  all  the  accumulated  odds  and 
ends  of  Karma  and  work  them  out  or  redeem  them.  That  is,  it 
must  find  the  germ  of  good  in  each  experience  and  discard  the 
husks  so  that  they  in  their  turn  may  be  cast  into  the  great  fur- 
nace of  transmutation  (the- 8th  Sphere)  and  be  purified  and 
evolve  into  the  materials,  or  world-stuff,  from  which  future 
globes  will  be  formed. 

The  earth  life  you  are  now  living  is  such  a  culminating  one. 
Your  psychic  experiences  are  due  to  the  Karma  made  during 
your  Atlantean  incarnation.  At  that  time,  in  common  with 
most  of  the  Race,  you  abused  your  psychic  power  and  began  to 
destroy  the  coverings  or  oily  sheaths  that  protect  the  vital 
centers  of  the  body  (see  lesson  on  NARCOTICS),  and  you  have 
not  yet  regained  complete  mastery  over  them.  This  is  the  great 
task  which  you  must  now  accomplish.  We  realize  your  great 
need  for  help,  and  so  are  glad  that  you  have  frankly  told  us 
your  exact  condition  and  enabled  us  to  give  you  exact 
directions. 

Regarding   your   experience   in   releasing  entities   from 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  49 

hades,  all  such  states  are  a  mere  matter  of  consciousness.  From 
the  long  continued  teachings  as  to  hell  and  damnation  there  are 
many  departed  Souls  who  have  died  in  the  firm  belief  that  hell 
was  their  portion.  When  they  awoke  upon  the  other  side  they 
experienced  hell ;  but  a  hell  of  their  own  creation ;  created  by 
the  thought-forms  of  a  lifetime.  You,  in  allowing  their  belief  to 
influence  you,  yet  desiring  to  help  them,  substituted  a  belief  in 
heaven  and  found  it  easy  to  impose  this  belief  upon  them.  But 
it  was  not  in  any  sense  freeing  them.  It  was  rather  substitut- 
ing one  illusion  for  another  by  hypnotic  suggestion.  Moreover, 
you  attached  to  your  Karma  the  necessity  of  final  true  relief 
for  all  whom  you  thus  deluded.  The  only  real  way  to  help  such 
discarnate  entities  whom  you  find  in  bondage  to  their  thought- 
forms,  is  to  tell  them  calmly  and  impressively  that  hell  is  only 
a  delusion ;  that  no  matter  how  greatly  they  have  sinned  it  will 
all  be  straightened  out  later  on,  as  they  are  able  to  bear  it,  BY 
RESTITUTION  ON  THE  PLANE  WHERE  THE  SIN  WAS 
COMMITTED ;  that  now,  while  they  are  excarnate,  is  the  time 
to  rest  and  gather  strength  to  go  on ;  that  they  must  recognize 
this  and  at  once  seek  out  the  Teachers  who  are  waiting  to  help 
them,  and  from  Them  learn  how  to  repent  and  make  restitution. 
Teach  them  that  repentance  is  turning  around  and  doing  the 
square  thing  by  those  whom  they  have  wronged;  that  no 
amount  of  suffering  in  their  self-created  hell  can  do  anything 
but  retard  their  making  restitution,  and  hence  their  upward 
journey. 

Feb.  5th,  1908. 

"What,  if  anything,  of  comfort  can  you  offer  for  the  losses 
to  the  living  of  the  dead?  I  am  so  weary  of  not  KNOWING 
that  it  is  better  with  those  who  are  gone  beyond.  What  can 
you  say  of  it?" 

This  short  period  of  limitation,  mis-called  life,  is  but  a  veil 
hiding  the  Real  Life  from  you.  It  is  as  though  you  tied  a  band- 
age over  your  eyes  during  a  journey  and  then  denied  the  sun- 
light and  the  beautiful  landscape.  Life  is  continuous ;  the  con- 
sciousness only  recedes  within.  Periodically  the  outer  covering 
(the  physical  body)  is  slipped  off  just  as  you  would  slip  off  an 
old  garment.  The  Soul,  the  Immortal  Ego,  is  the  Real  Self 
which  clothes  itself  with  various  garments  suitable  to  contact 
the  different  spheres  and  states  of  consciousness.  It  does  this 
just  as  you  would  don  different  garments  for  different  occa- 
sions ;  a  fur  coat  for  winter,  a  thin  one  for  summer.  Slipping 


50  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

off  the  fur  coat  does  not  in  any  way  alter  your  individuality, 
even  though  it  does  reveal  your  true  appearance  more  per- 
fectly. You  are  the  same  woman  whether  dressed  in  a  single 
garment  or  wrapped  in  many.  So  it  is  with  the  Real  Self.  At 
the  time  of  the  so-called  death  the  grossest  and  most  hampering 
garment,  comparable  to  the  fur  coat,  is  slipped  off  and  the  con- 
sciousness is  expanded  and  freer  just  as  you  are  freer  with 
your  fur  coat  off.  You,  when  wrapped  in  your  fleshly  garments, 
are  perhaps  blind  to  the  more  etheric  and  radiant  garment,  be- 
cause of  the  thickness  of  the  outer ;  but  your  loved  ones  know 
you  as  you  are.  Every  effort  you  make  to  advance  spiritually 
helps  them  more  than  it  does  you,  and  they  in  turn  help  you. 
For  instance,  a  truth  that  might  be  very  hard  for  you  to  grasp 
would  be  quickly  grasped  by  one  who  was  near  you  yet  un- 
hampered by  a  fleshly  body.  He  in  turn  would  bring  all  his 
loving  force  to  bear  to  help  you  to  understand. 

When  persons  pass  from  the  earth  life  their  character  is  in 
no  way  different.  They  know  just  as  much  as  they  did  before 
and  no  more.  The  chief  difference  is  that  they  are  in  a  differ- 
ent environment  where  their  faculties  of  perception  are  keener. 
For  instance,  they  can  sense  thought,  while  those  on  earth  have 
to  wait  for  words.  They  can  see  within  as  well  as  without,  and 
can  transport  theifoselves  from  place  to  place  by  the  power  of 
thought.  Therefore  you  can  well  understand  that,  passing  into 
this  new  phase  of  life  with  all  the  love  of  their  hearts  concen- 
trated on  a  loved  one  still  on  earth,  they  would  not  desire  to 
pass  farther  on  into  higher  spheres,  but  would  stay  close  to  the 
one  they  loved.  And  on  the  astral  plane  there  are  Masters 
whose  pleasure  it  is  to  teach  all  who  desire  to  learn,  just  as 
They  teach  those  who  still  remain  on  earth. 

April  llth,  1908. 

"I  used  to  have  explosions  in  my  brain,  some  very  violent, 
but  know  of  no  damage  from  them.  Very  heavy  tremors  have, 
and  still  occasionally  run  through  my  body,  shaking  it  subject- 
ively just  as  a  heavy  earthquake  would  shake  the  physical  body. 
Have  had  an  exudation  of  vapor  or  smoke  from  a  point  at  the 
end  of  my  spine,  that  blackened  the  chairs  I  sat  on.  Vapor  or 
mist  exuded  from  my  eyes  so  much  as  to  moisten  a  sheet  of 
paper  held  an  inch  away.  At  times  the  vapor  exuded  from  my 
wrists.  Can  you  explain  it?" 

The  mist  proceeding  from  the  centers  of  your  body  is  a 
danger  signal,  quite  as  dangerous  as  smoke  coming  from  a 
rapidly  revolving  axle.  The  tremors  you  mention  are  merely 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  51 

contacts  with  the  denizens  of  the  astral.  Always  challenge 
them.  Ask  them  what  they  want.  Say,  "If  you  come  for  help 
I  wish  you  well,  but  at  present  I  must  guard  and  protect  my 
own  body,  hence  Begone !  Work  out  your  own  salvation. ' '  If 
a  Master  should  come  to  you  you  will  at  once  know  it  by  the 
wave  of  love  and  joy  that  surrounds  you.  But  remember  that 
insanity  stands  very  close  to  undue  or  abnormal  development, 
and  that  it  is  the  Masters  who  are  holding  you  back.  They  de- 
sire that  you  should  go  slow  until  you  can  gain  mastery  over 
your  centers;  for  it  is  just  such  tangled  ends  of  mis-applied 
psychicism  that  you  have  now  to  untangle.  It  means  victory  or 
death,  or  say  instead  of  death,  another  long,  long  cycle  of  re- 
habiliment  extending  into  the  next  manvantara.  Your  Father- 
in-heaven  hath  need  of  you  NOW.  The  time  of  times  is  at 
hand,  and  you  are  chosen  to  be  a  Light  Bearer.  Hold  high  your 
light  and  be  diligent.  Clear  away  the  rubbish  that  the  light 
may  shine  unimpeded. 

March  4th,  1908. 
"I    rejoice    that    admission  and   instruction    in   the    Order 

is  a  possibility  for  me It  is  a  matter  of  joy 

to  me  to  come  in  touch  with  an  organization  which  is  conducted 
on  purely  impersonal  lines.  The  necessity  for  this  has  been  im- 
pressing itself  upon  me  for  many  years. How  can  we 

protect  ourselves  on  the  astral  plane?" 

You  must  now  understand,  thoroughly  and  practically, 
that  nothing  can  enter  your  aura,  either  asleep  or  awake,  with- 
out your  consent.  Therefore,  impress  it  firmly  upon  your  sub- 
conscious mind  that  whenever  ANY  entity,  on  any  plane,  comes 
to  you  you  are  ALWAYS  to  challenge  it.  Ask,  Who  are  you? 
Are  you  black  or  white?  What  do  you  want  with  me?  If  you 
are  not  here  for  my  good  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  you. 
If  they  hesitate  or  do  not  reply  to  any  of  your  questions  IN- 
SIST that  they  do.  Demand  reply  '  'In  the  name  of  The  Christ. ' ' 
It  is  a  law  on  the  astral  that  all  such  fearless  questions  must  be 
answered  truthfully;  but  you  must  DEMAND  the  truth.  Any- 
one connected  with  The  Great  White  Lodge  will  be  glad  to  re- 
spond to  such  challenges  and  you  will  feel  a  thrill  of  joy  and 
confidence  at  the  reply.  Any  others  must  show  their  real 
natures  or  disappear. 

April  llth,  1908. 

"It  appears  to  me  that  I  have  an  accumulated  inheritance 
of  secret  devils/  among  which  stand  out  prominently  a  hasty 
temper,  a  sharp  tongue,  intellectual  pride,  and  last  but  not  least, 
lascivious  thoughts/' 


52          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

Hold  the  thought  persistently  in  mind  that  the  d-evils  you 
speak  of  are  the  children  of  your  own  creation;  not  mere 
characteristics,  but  really  created  entities  upon  the  mental  and 
astral  planes,  entities  which  you  through  many  lives  have 
created.  Being  your  very  own  you  must  master  them.  But 
mastery  does  not  mean  annihilation ;  for  all  that  is  has  within  it 
a  germ  of  good  as  well  as  evil,  and  this  germ  is  expressed  ac- 
cording to  the  use  that  is  made  of  it.  In  fact  evil  is  but  the 
shadow  of  good.  It  is  the  work,  and  the  first  step,  of  every  earn- 
est seeker  after  freedom  to  take  stock,  as  you  have  done,  of  just 
what  he  has  created  out  of  the  God-power  of  creative  force 
given  him  "in  the  beginning*'  as  his  most  precious  possession, 

When  you  have  taken  such  stock,  realize  that  these  things 
are  yours  to  use,  the  weapons  with  which  you  must  fight,  the 
forces  and  materials  out  of  which  you  must  build  up  your  im- 
mortal habitation.  Realize  that  nothing  once  created  can  ever 
thereafter  cease  to  be ;  also  that  the  redemption  of  all  through 
the  power  of  The  Christ  must  be  accomplished.  It  is  this  that 
gives  true  individuality  to  each  one ;  for  while  all  are  one,  yet 
each  makes  an  individual  expression  of  the  One  Life  by  creat- 
ing through  the  power  of  his  life-force.  Since  all  your  creations 
must  be  redeemed  by  their  creator  all  sorts  of  experiences  are 
garnered  and  stored  up  for  the  One  Life. 

A  hasty  temper  is  like  a  fire ;  put  it  in  a  furnace  and  it  will 
generate  steam  or  force  that  will  run  machinery  and  accom- 
plish a  great  work  for  the  world.  A  sharp  tongue,  controlled, 
will  be  a  weapon  that  can  fearlessly  cut  the  evil  from  the  good ; 
its  ruler  is  love.  Intellectual  pride  is  a  dangerous  master,  but 
a  wonderfully  efficient  servant.  Wed  it  to  humility  and  let  love 
bless  the  union.  Lascivious  thoughts  are  astral  lust-bodies 
created  by  the  mis-application  of  the  physical  creative  fluid; 
for  remember  that  that  fluid  always  creates,  if  not  upon  the 
physical  plane  (physical  bodies)  then  upon  the  astral,  following 
out  the  desires  and  lusts  of  the  creator.  (See  lesson  on 
PURITY.)  Learn  the  holiness  and  the  sacredness  of  the  sex 
forces,  and  send  out  thoughts  of  love  and  purity  that  will  con- 
quer and  transmute  these  creatures  of  lust,  and  take  their  place 
as  helpers  rather  than  hinderers. 

Keep  on  praying;  but  consciously  assert  your  power, 
through  your  divine  heritage,  to  hold  all  your  d-evils  subject  to 
you.  Chain  them  and  put  them  to  work  under  the  lash  of  your 


THE  ASTRAL  PLANE.  53 

purified  Will  until  they  can  be  transmuted  and  redeemed  by 

you,  through  the  power  of  The  Christ. 

May  15th,  1908. 

"My  psychic  experiences  lately  have  been  quite  frequent. 
My  father-in-law  who  has  been  called  out  of  the  body  seems  to 
come  back  and  he  and  I  always  seem  to  have  a  lot  of  trouble. 
He  seems  bound  to  push  his  way  into  my  presence  causing 
trouble.  This  happens  at  night  and  my  brother-in-law  that  was 
called  to  pass  on  in  February  last  comes  and  plays  the  same  kind 
of  pranks  to  scare  children  that  he  did  when  on  earth.  What 
shall  I  do?" 

You  must  learn  to  protect  yourself  on  the  astral  plane. 
This  is  quite  as  necessary,  or  more  so,  than  on  the  earth  plane. 
Think  of  yourself  as  one  with  a  glorious  Father-in-heaven  who  is 
constantly  shedding  over  you  a  radiant  light.  This  light  is  a 
force  or  flame  coming  from  above,  or  rather  from  within  your 
own  heart  (the  lamp).  But  there  must  be  the  oil  of  love  and 
the  wick  of  truth  and  confidence  and  trust,  so  the  light  may 
shine  forth  in  the  darkness  and  make  a  ring  of  light  and  force 
around  you.  As  far  as  the  light  can  send  forth  its  rays  you  are 
surrounded  by  a  protective  aura,  and  no  entity  can  penetrate 
within  this  ring  unless  you  open  a  door.  Keep  your  doors  dili- 
gently; open  them  only  to  go  forth  carrying  blessing  and  help 
to  all  who  need,  but  shut  them  tight  against  any  who  would 
enter  to  desecrate  the  Holy  Temple.  Hold  fast  to  the  idea  that 
you  desire  nothing  but  Divine  Wisdom  and  will  admit  nothing 
but  Spiritual  Light.  Study  carefully  the  lesson  on  NAR- 
COTICS, ALCOHOL  AND  PSYCHISM  which  we  are  sending 
you. 

April  llth,  1908. 

"Something  attacked  me  in  three  different  houses,  here  and 
in Would  feel  a  weight  on  my  chest  as  of  a  large  ani- 
mal. With  a  sense  of  distrust  I  tried  to  mentally  oppose  it,  only 
to  find  that  my  brain  power  was  clogged,  nor  could  I  open  my 
eyes.  After  a  struggle  lasting  apparently  several  minutes  I  was 
able  to  clearly  formulate  my  thought.  Then  the  ill  presence 
would  disappear.  This  had  happened  a  number  of  times,  when 

one  morning 1  had  barely  closed  my  eyes  when  the 

animal  pounced  upon  me.  I  decided  instead  of  resisting  to  lie 
still  and  see  what  it  would  do.  According  to  its  feel  I  judged 
it  to  be  a  cross  between  a  Newfoundland,  a  bear  and  a  wolf.  It 
wriggled  its  paws  under  my  back  and  lifted  me  clear  off  the  bed. 
I  thought  it  was  then  time  to  resist,  and  a  terrific  mental  en- 
counter followed.  Finally  it  uttered  a  horrible  growl  of  dis- 
appointment, USING  MY  VOCAL  ORGANS,  relaxed  its  hold 
and  I  dropped  to  the  bed  with  a  heavy  thud Before 


54          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

that  I  several  times  woke  to  find  my  body  and  arms  covered 
with  cuts  and  scratches  which  would  soon  scab  over  and  scale 
off.  What  is  the  explanation  of  these  attacks?" 

The  beast  you  mention  is  directly  connected  with  your  old 
Atlantean  incarnation.  In  those  days  the  Race,  having  their 
psychic  faculties  fully  developed  (these  faculties  came  first  and 
only  later,  through  misuse,  hardened  into  the  present  limited 
physical  faculties),  used  them  to  enslave  all  forms  of  life  below 
them.  They  had  beasts  larger  and  quite  different  from  any 
now  known  on  the  earth  plane.  These  beasts  were  controlled 
by  hypnotic  power  and  were  forced  to  act  as  servants  and 
slaves.  As  the  mind  of  the  human  being  was  imposed  upon  the 
animal  consciousness,  the  animal  became  an  anomaly,  neither 
beast  nor  man.  On  this  account  they  could  not  proceed  nor- 
mally with  their  evolution  through  the  animal  kingdom,  but 
must  wait,  outside  as  it  were,  attached  to  the  person  who  was 
responsible  for  their  unnatural  state  until,  through  the  power 
of  awakened  Will  on  the  part  of  their  sponsor,  such  beasts  are 
released. 

Such  astral  beasts  from  time  to  time  send  out  emanations 
as  it  were,  which  incarnate  on  the  physical  plane  as  animals. 
These  animals  would,  of  course,  be  of  extraordinary  sagacity; 
for,  unlike  normal  animals,  they  would  have  something  akin  to 
a  Higher  Self  in  the  astral  beast  from  which  they  emanated, 
and  they  would  naturally  attach  themselves  to  the  human  being 
who  was  responsible  for  the  astral  beast.  That  is,  through  these 
animal  expressions  the  astral  beast  is  able  to  gain  the  evolu- 
tion of  its  purely  animal  instincts ;  but  it  must  remain  in  the 
astral  and  wait  for  the  man  to  evolve  its  more  than  animal  wis- 
dom. Much  depends  upon  the  treatment  you  give  such  animal 
emanations.  No  doubt  you  have  had  many  attach  themselves 
closely  to  you  on  earth. 

The  beasts  upon  the  astral  are  either  ferocious  and  vin- 
dictive or  loving  and  protecting  according  to  the  manner  in 
which  they  were  treated  in  the  past.  One  of  the  sins  for  which 
the  ancient  Atlantean  Race  was  destroyed  was  cohabiting  with 
beasts  and  denying  and  preventing  their  normal  evolution. 

June  16th,  1908. 

"While  experiencing  no  'recoveries'  I  have  seen  in  part 
what  I  have  called  'I.'  And  O  the  horror  of  it!  I  had  but  a 
glimpse  or  two — for  although  knowing  that  it  was  possible  to 
see  all,  I  realized  that  it  was  dangerous,  in  my  nervous  condi- 
tion, to  try  to  bear  the  strain  of  a  full  revelation Since 


THE   ASTRAL  PLANE.  55 

that  awful  experience  my  whole  outlook  and  inlook  have 
changed.  I  see  mankind — myself  included — through  different 
eye-perceptions." 

The  experience  which  was  so  appalling  to  you  was  a  mo- 
mentary glimpse  of  "The  Dweller  on  the  Threshold/'  This  is 
the  condensed  essence  as  it  were  of  all  the  old  personalities  that 
you  have  used  in  other  lives  and  have  not  yet  conquered,  a  sort 
of  a  composite  of  all  the  left-overs  from  each  life.  At  the  time 
of  laying  aside  the  old  garment  (pihysical  body)  there  is  always 
a  great  deal  of  evil  that  has  not  been  spiritualized,  and  this  is 
entitized  and  remains  upon  the  kama-lokic  plane  until  the  Ego 
who  gave  it  birth  grows  strong  enough  to  conquer  it  once  for 
all.  It  attaches  itself  to  the  Ego  at  each  new  incarnation  and 
becomes  the  tempter  of  the  personality — a  personal  devil  to  a 
certain  extent,  but  only  because  it  is  something  that  you  have 
created  which  is  seeking  expression  through  you.  It  is  a  per- 
sonal devil  just  as  the  Higher  Self  may  be  said  to  be  a  per- 
sonal God. 

Before  final  liberation  this  monster  must  be  consciously 
met  and  conquered,  i.  e.  the  evil  that  is  entitized  must  be  re- 
deemed and  spiritualized  by  seeing  in  oneself  the  faults  that 
live  in  this  Dweller  and  overcoming  them  one  by  one.  It  is 
called  "The  Dweller  on  the  Threshold"  because  when  one  is 
determined  to  live  a  spiritual  life  this  thing  stands  at  the 
threshold  to  be  redeemed  before  the  neophyte  can  go  on.  Very 
often  just  before  taking  an  advanced  step  upward  and  inward, 
or  passing  an  inner  initiation,  this  Dweller  becomes  visible  to 
the  disciple.  It  is  dreadful  because,  being  created  by  yourself, 
there  is  an  inner  conviction  that  you,  like  Frankenstein,  are 
looking  into  the  face  of  a  monster  of  your  own  creation  and  you 
are  appalled  at  the  sight  of  your  handiwork.  It  is  only  the 
brave  and  the  steadfast  who  can  look  in  the  face  and  defy  this 
Dweller,  in  full  consciousness  of  their  power  of  The  Christ  to 
conquer  and  redeem  it.  Until  redeemed  it  is  ever  with  you, 
seen  or  unseen.  If  you  have  ever  read  Bulwer  Lytton's 
"ZANONI"  you  will  remember  that  the  Dweller  was  more 
dangerous  when  not  seen.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  see  it,  for  then 
your  courage  is  stimulated  to  conquer  it.  Do  not  be  discour- 
aged; for  not  only  have  you  a  Dweller,  but  you  also  have  a 
' '  Guardian  of  the  Threshold. ' '  This  is  built  up  or  created  by 
you  out  of  all  your  aspirations  and  struggles  to  overcome.  Every 
time  you  turn  your  thoughts  toward  spiritual  things  you 


56  LETTERS  FfeOM  TkE  TEACHER. 

strengthen  this  Guardian  and  withdraw  life  from  the  Dweller. 
This  is  why  it  fights  against  your  spiritual  growth ;  it  is  fight- 
ing for  its  life.  Every  fault  faced  and  overcome  adds  an  arrow 
to  the  quiver  of  your  Guardian.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the 
passage  in  ' '  LIGHT  ON  THE  PATH ' '  which  says :  ' '  Stand  aside 
in  the  coming  battle,  and  though  thou  fightest  be  not  thou  the 
warrior.  Look  for  the  warrior  and  let  him  fight  in  thee.  Obey 
him  not  as  though  he  were  a  general,  but  as  though  he  were 
thyself,  and  his  spoken  words  were  the  utterance  of  thy  secret 
desires ;  for  he  is  thyself,  yet  infinitely  wiser  and  stronger  than 
thyself. ' '  The  warrior  is  your  higher  principles  together  with 
the  sum  total  of  your  aspirations  etc.  which  fights  for  you. 
Recognize  that  the  evil  is  but  transitory;  that  it  lives  only  until 
you  arise  in  your  might,  accept  it  as  your  own  and  determine 
to  redeem  and  transmute  the  foul  dross  into  pure  gold.  Re- 
member, nothing  is  to  be  killed.  "Thou  shalt  not  kill"  means 
more  than  the  surface  interpretation  generally  given  to  it ;  for 
within  every  evil  thing  there  is  the  germ  of  good.  Find  then 
that  germ,  and  water  it  with  love  and  patience  until  it  grows 
and  transforms  the  evil  into  good. 

You  are  quite  right  not  to  expect  or  count  upon  psychic 
experiences ;  but  when  they  come  meet  them  boldly  and  find  the 
lesson  in  them.  Remember  always  that  you  have  the  power  of 
The  Christ  to  conquer  everything  that  comes  to  you.  Use  that 
power  and  fear  not. 

March  3rd,  1908. 
"Mediums  claim  to  see  and  talk  with  those  who  have  been 

gone  as  long  as  40  years.    They  are  not  happy claim 

to  be  'learning.'    Why  do  not  THEY  incarnate  again?" 

Those  whom  mediums  contact  who  say  they  have  been  on 
the  astral  plane  for  a  period  of  forty  earth  years  (a  very  short 
period  of  astral  existence)  are  persons  who  passed  out  with  no 
knowledge  of  the  astral  plane  and  with  great  fear  or  intense 
regret  at  having  to  leave  the  earth  plane.  Moreover,  their 
earth  life  was  probably  such  that  there  is  now  nothing  in  them 
to  attract  them  to  the  Teachers  of  the  astral  plane,  hence,  like 
so  many  on  the  earth  plane,  they  go  on  and  on  in  ignorance,  in 
spite  of  the  many  sources  of  enlightenment  all  around  them, 
just  as  they  passed  by  similar  sources  while  on  the  earth  plane. 
They  are  generally  those  who  have  centered  all  their  interests 
on  the  petty  things  of  earth  and  who  had  no  realization  of  a 
future  life.  Hence  when  they  find  themselves  minus  a  physical 


*THE   ASTRAL  PLAti&  §7 

body,  their  interests  being  wrapped  up  in  earthly  concerns,  they 
cannot  separate  themselves  from  earth  conditions  or  find  inter- 
est in  anything  higher.  They  hover  around  their  old  earth 
friends  and  interest  themselves  in  their  old  earth  pursuits. 
Being  able  to  perceive  their  earth  friends,  they  are  deeply 
grieved  and  unhappy  because  their  earth  friends  do  not  recog- 
nize them,  and  because  their  place  on  earth  seems  to  have  been 
filled  and  themselves  forgotten. 

They  do  not  reincarnate  because  ere  they  can  do  so  they 
have  a  considerable  period  to  pass  on  the  astral  and  higher 
planes  assimilating  the  results  of  the  last  earth  life,  and  then  a 
period  of  rest  analogous  to  sleep  before  they  are  ready  to  rein- 
carnate. The  best  way  to  help  such  persons  is  to  impress  them 
with  the  reality  of  the  plane  on  which  they  find  themselves  and 
to  urge  them  to  seek  out  those  Teachers  and  Guides  who  can 
teach  them  how  to  make  the  best  use  of  their  time  while  there 
and  thus  prepare  for  still  higher  planes.  There  are  some  who 
refuse  to  go  on  until  they  die  to  that  plane  as  they  did  to  the 
earth  plane,  because  there  is  nothing  in  them  that  attracts  them 
toward  higher  things. 


PART    V. 
PHENOMENA. 

"If  anyone  think  these  things  incredible,  let  him  keep  his 
opinions  to  himself,  and  not  contradict  those  who,  by  such 
events,  are  incited  to  the  study  of  virtue."  Josephus. 


PHENOMENA.  59 

June  7th,  1908.      , 

"One  evening  about  nine  o'clock  I  was  driving  a  very 
gentle  team  hitched  to  a  good  buggy  with  a  good  harness.  Had 
been  driving  most  of  the  day  and  was  near  home  going  up  an 
easy  grade  in  the  road  at  a  slow  walk,  with  the  traces  barely 
stretched,  till  I  reached  the  top  of  the  grade,  when  like  a  flash  of 
lightning  all  four  traces  dropped  to  the  ground,  frightened  the 
team  which  ran  away  and  left  me  sitting  in  the  buggy  surprised. 
I  got  the  team  and  found  nothing  wrong  or  broken  about  the 
harness  or  buggy.  I  know  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  any 
of  the  traces  to  have  come  unhooked  of  their  own  accord.  It 
was  a  very  calm,  beautiful  moonlight  night  with  not  a  breath  of 
air  stirring.  It  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me  how  this  could 
have  occurred  without  the  intervention  of  some  mysterious 
power  from  the  other  world.  Can  you  explain  it?" 

Your  experience  with  the  falling  of  the  traces  is  what  some 
would  call  remarkable,  but  in  reality  it  was  only  the  work  of 
elementals — irresponsible  beings  in  the  process  of  becoming. 
They  can  be  very  mischievous  at  times,  and  being  without 
mind  of  their  own,  swarm  around  anyone  who  gives  off  enough 
psychic  force  for  them  to  appropriate.  They  are  the  elements 
from  which  human  bodies  will  be  built.  They  have  human  sub- 
consciousness,  but  not  self-consciousness,  and  they  therefore 
obey  the  thought  of  humanity  as  a  whole.  In  the  case  of  their 
attaching  themselves  to  a  human  being  they  obey  his  thought, 
even  when  unexpressed,  and  are  a  strong  factor  in  thought 
power.  In  your  case  you  were,  no  doubt,  unconsciously  or  sub- 
consciously thinking  of  getting  home  and  unharnessing,  and, 
having  very  strong  mental  power,  the  elemental  force  of  your 
thought  took  physical  expression  and  unharnessed  then  and 
there.  This  is  the  general  explanation  in  most  such  cases ;  for 
if  it  were  the  work  of  any  self-conscious  entity  upon  the  higher 
planes  it  would  have  had  some  meaning  or  reason,  either  as  a 
warning  or  to  prevent  an  imminent  danger.  With  you  this  was 
not  the  case ;  in  fact  it  created  danger,  since  the  team  ran  away. 

It  is  well  to  be  acquainted  with  the  laws  of  the  unseen  uni- 
verse, for  man  should  be  the  master  of  ALL  conditions.  One 
capable  of  sending  out  this  force  powerfully  enough  to  create 
a  response  such  as  you  experienced  would,  if  the  power  were 
studied  and  turned  to  good,  be  able  to  master  and  command 
these  elemental  forces  and  make  them  his  servants  to  help  him 
attain  betterment  for  the  human  race,  rather  than  mischief 
for  himself. 


60  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

July  21st,  1908. 

"On  a  number  of  occasions,  after  deep  meditation  on  re- 
ligious subjects,  I  have  found  myself  surrounded  by  a  luminous 
ether  which  palpitates  with  a  strange  energy  unlike  anything  I 
have  observed  in  any  manifestation  of  nature." 

The  luminous  ether  you  speak  of  is  often  the  astral  light. 
At  other  times  it  is  the  thought-force  from  the  Teachers  who  are 
sending  into  your  aura  the  Light  of  Wisdom  in  an  effort  to 
awaken  in  you  a  responsive  vibration  that  shall  make  you  con- 
sciously realize  Their  presence  and  grasp  Their  teachings 

The  Masters  know  what  lessons  They  have  been  trying  to  im- 
part, but  They  cannot  tell  how  the  lesson  has  been  interpreted 
by  your  physical  consciousness  unless  you  report  what  concep- 
tion you  brought  back  on  waking. 

March  18th,  1908. 

"Yesterday  in  meditation  I  challenged  a  persistent  influence 
within  my  consciousness,  when  suddenly  with  my  eyes  closed,  I 
saw  at  quite  a  distance  a  figure  appear  wrapped  in  a  dark  mantle 
with  what  looked  like  rays  of  light  extending  in  all  directions 
around  his  head.  It  did  not  advance  or  make  any  movement, 

and  gradually  faded  away What  you  write  of  the  'ring 

of  force,'  the  'Ring-Pass-Not,'  is  very  clear  and  helpful  to  me. 
I  have  studied  it  carefully  and  feel  that  it  is  a  sure  protection  of 

which    I    gladly   avail  myself *.  I  shall    faithfully  apply 

your  instructions  in  regard  to  it." 

One  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is  that  no  Master  will  ever  enter 
within  the  " Ring-Pass-Not"  unless  especially  invited.  He  may 
send  force  to  help  you,  may  knock  at  the  door,  but  He  will  not 
enter  without  your  express  desire.  The  law  is  much  like  that 
of  the  physical  plane ;  for  no  right  minded  person  will  enter  the 
closed  door  of  a  private  apartment  without  invitation  or  per- 
mission. In  this  case  no  evilly  disposed  entity  can  enter  the 
' ' ring"  any  more  than  a  thief  can  enter  a  securely  locked 
apartment.  If  this  rule  were  not  rigidly  followed  there  would 
be  no  privacy  on  the  higher  planes.  This  is  the  reason  for  the 
saying  found  in  the  Bible  that  no  busybodies  can  enter  the 
Kingdom ;  for  while  there  is  the  slightest  curiosity  or  desire  to 
pry  into  another's  business  one  is  debarred  from  functioning  on 
the  higher  planes.  The  entity  who  approached  you  was  not  in- 
vited to  enter,  therefore  he  retired. 

May  7th,  1908. 

"Why  should  I  be  sensitive  to  elemental  forces  that  may  or 
may  not  be  aware  of  my  existence?  Why  should  I  fear  them? 
I  am  always  most  uncomfortably  sensitive  to  atmospheric  con- 
ditions before  a  storm,  but  when  snow  is  falling  I  have  a  feel- 


PHENOMENA.  61 

ing  of  calmness.  Why?  Also  please  tell  me  about  color  vision. 
To  me  it  is  divided  into  color  KNOWING  and  color  SEEING, 
the  first  being  a  much  higher  faculty  than  the  second.  The  only 
colors  I  ever  see  are  those  that  come  in  the  night  just  before 
sleeping.  Great  soft  clouds  of  beautiful  light,  mainly  blue. 
Why  on  earth  blue?  When  as  an  earth  color  it  does  not  attract 
me  much." 

Sensitive  persons  are  always  more  or  less  oppressed  with 
vague  fears  during  a  wind  storm  because  the  elementals  of  the 
air  (Sylphs),  of  all  the  elementals,  act  with  the  greatest  malig- 
nity toward  mankind.  While  they  are  on  the  rampage  a  sensi- 
tive feels  their  malignant  force.  The  elementals  imprisoned  in 
the  snow  crystals,  on  the  contrary,  are  kind  and  benign. 

Blue  being  the  color  of  the  mental  plane,  naturally,  when 
functioning  on  that  plane  you  see  blue — a  very  intense,  beauti- 
ful, indigo  blue  unlike  any  shade  on  the  physical  plane.  The 
"color  knowing"  of  which  you  speak  is  commonly  classed  as 
the  "sixth  sense, "  but  it  is  merely  the  functioning  of  one  of  the 
five  senses  on  the  higher  planes,  not  a  new  sense.  It  is  by  no 
means  spiritual,  but  simply  a  faculty  developed  a  little  in  ad- 
vance of  the  general  run  of  human  senses.  It  will  be  the  herit- 
age of  the  sixth  sub-race,  and  is  now  beginning  to  make  itself 
known.  That  is,  we  have  now  reached  the  point  where  the  fifth 
and  sixth  sub-races  blend  and  overlap ;  for  you  know  there  are 
no  hard  and  fast  lines,  but,  like  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  one 
blends  into  the  other. 

As  to  your  various  psychic  sensations,  they  are  quite  easily 
understood.  If  you  could  enter  into  the  consciousness  of  a 
newly  born  babe  you  would  find  that  its  physical  experiences 
were  very  similar.  It  would  be  conscious  of  a  bright  light,  but 
would  not  be  able  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  it.  Forms  would 
come  and  go  like  phantoms,  and  scraps  of  conversation,  prob- 
ably not  understood — altho  not  necessarily  so — would  be  heard. 
Colors  would  be  sensed  and  would  have  a  decided  effect  upon 
both  feeling  and  seeing.  A  babe  spends  most  of  its  time  sleep- 
ing, during  which  it  is  on  the  astral  plane,  with  only  fleeting 
periods  of  physical  consciousness — its  waking  moments.  It  finds 
its  brain  quite  unable  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  what  goes  on 
around  it,  and  the  effort  to  fix  its  mind  upon  anything  sends  it 
off  to  sleep — back  to  the  astral  consciousness.  You  are  a  babe 
upon  the  astral,  that  is  all — quite  a  precocious  one  in  fact.  If 
you  wish  to  know  how  to  grow  up,  follow  the  example  of  the 


62          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

infant  in  its  various  steps  toward  comprehension  of  earthly 
objects. 

May  18th,  1908. 

"I  want  to  know  all  I  can  be  given  about  color.  Color  has 
always  played  a  most  vital  part  in  my  conscious  thought  life. 
From  earliest  childhood  everything,  words,  persons,  days,  num- 
bers and  events  have  all  had  their  corresponding  color  by  which 
I  knew  them  better  than  by  any  other  way." 

The  innate  meaning  of  everything  is  expressed  in  color, 
tone  and  form.  The  form  we  observe  with  our  physical  eyes, 
the  color  with  the  psychic  senses.  Tone  belongs  to  the  creative 
hierarchy,  hence  a  strong  reason  for  modulating  and  harmoniz- 
ing even  the  tones  of  the  voice.  While  all  color  is  the  natural 
result  or  effect  of  tone,  from  another  point  of  view  it  is  the 
result  or  effect  of  form.  Hence  nothing  can  have  a  form  with- 
out a  color,  nor  tone  without  color,  nor  either  without  the 
other.  If  you  would  follow  this  inspiring  line  of  study,  one  for 
which  your  natural  development  fits  you,  you  would  find  all 
creation  an  open  book.  Its  alphabet  is  written  in  four  letters, 
i.  e.  form,  color,  tone  and  number.  Not  an  herb  that  grows 
but  proclaims  aloud,  in  unmistakable  language,  its  exact  use, 
power  and  potency.  This  is  as  true  of  the  stars  in  heaven,  in 
fact  of  everything  in  humanity  and  in  the  cosmos.  Verily,  to  the 
eye  that  can  behold  and  to  the  ear  that  can  hear  there  is 
nothing  hid  that  shall  not  be  revealed. 

June  2nd,  1908. 

"In  my  visions  landscapes  always  look  perfectly  natural; 
even  when  everything  is  in  the  lights  and  shadows  of  flaming 
yellow,  everything  is  bathed  in  a  glow  of  yellow  light." 

Yellow  pertains  to  the  soul  plane,  and  a  vision  tinged  with 
this  color  should  be  interpreted  as  pertaining  to  the  Soul  or 
Ego.  Violet  is  the  plane  of  the  spiritual  auric  envelope,  it  be- 
ing blue  on  the  physical  plane.  It  is  the  highest  color  and  means 
suffering  only  when  degraded  and  debased  and  forced  to  reflect 
itself  in  physical  matter.  It  varies  all  the  way  from  deep  violet 
described  above  to  pure  white,  indicating  pure,  untrammeled 
Spirit.  Orange  is  the  color  of  the  life-force,  and  according  to 
the  degree  of  its  lightening  up  into  golden  radiance  does  it  in- 
dicate spiritual  life,  or  physical  life  if  there  is  an  interblending 
of  colors. 


PHENOMENA.  63 

March  8th,  1908. 

.  "One  day  not  long  ago  I  was  walking  down  Walnut  Street 
when  I  appeared  to  be  preceded  by  a  purple  patch  of  light.  I 
thought  at  first  it  must  be  an  optical  illusion,  but  closing  and 
opening  my  eyes  at  intervals  and  still  seeing  the  light,  even 
with  my  eyes  shut,  it  made  me  think  it  might  have  some  occult 
significance,  hence  my  mentioning  it  to  you." 

The  light  which  you  saw  was  the  light  of  the  astral  plane, 
violet  being  its  most  prominent  color.  If  it  was  dark  in  hue  it 
might  have  proceeded  from  a  passional  element  in  your  own 
aura;  but  if  it  was  dark  and  clear  and  rich,  and  a  true  shade, 
it  would  probably  represent  passion  made  as  holy  as  earth  love 
could  make  it.  For  you  know  purple  is  a  mixture  of  red  and 
blue,  and  it  is  only  by  a  perfect  blending  of  these  two,  in  purity 
and  love,  that  gives  the  highest  color  of  the  spectrum — violet, 
at  which  point  the  highest  attainment  of  man  is  reached.  Man 
must  follow  the  path  of  the  pure  spectrum  colors  and  create  a 
pure,  rich,  perfect  purple  before  he  can  enter  into  a  higher 
state  where  violet — which  is  red  purified  and  enlightened — 
will  prevail. 

May  30th,  1908. 

"I  want  to  ask  for  the  explanation  of  much  of  the  elec- 
tricity that  I  see It  shows  itself  as  an  intense  bright- 
ness— or  even  sudden  contact  with  a  physical  object  gives  me  a 
flash  all  over/" 

— Jt  may  be  the  result  of  several  causes.  The  most 
probable  is  that  you  are  developing  the  sense  of  touch  on  the 
astral.  If  this  sense  were  understood  and  trained  it  would  make 
you  aware  of  forces  within  as  well  as  without.  Contact  with 
the  aura  of  an  object  carelessly  touched  would  be  just  as  tan- 
gible as  the  striking  of  your  body  against  a  hard  physical  sub- 
stance is  to  your  physical  senses. 


PART    VI. 
DREAMS  AND  VISIONS. 

"And  they  said  unto  him,  we  have  dreamed  a  dream,  and 
there  is  no  interpreter  of  it.  And  Joseph  said  unto  them,  Do 
not  interpretations  belong  to  God?  tell  me  them,  I  pray  you." 
Genesis  XL,  8. 

"And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Joseph,  I  have  dreamed  a  dream, 

and  there  is  none  that  can  interpret  it: And  Joseph 

answered    Pharaoh,  saying,  It    is    not   in    me;  God    shall    give 
Pharaoh  an  answer  of  peace."     Genesis  XLI,  14-15. 


DREAMS  AND  VISIONS.  65 

May  30th,  1908. 

"Will  the  Teacher  of  the  Order  help  me  to  a  fuller  under- 
standing of  the  very  definite  psychical  experience  that  has  come 
to  me  during  the  last  few  years?" 

"We  will  most  gladly  help  you  to  an  understanding  of  the 
psychic  experiences  you  mention;  but  in  order  to  do  this  it  is 
necessary  that  you  tell  us  just  what  the  experiences  were.  The 
Masters  know  just  what  lessons  your  Higher  Self  has  been 
making  an  effort  to  impress  upon  your  brain  consciousness,  but, 
as  in  all  such  cases,  the  transmission  of  the  higher  teaching  de- 
pends upon  how  much  the  lower  brain-mind  is  capable  of  re- 
ceiving and  translating  into  physical  consciousness.  A  study 
of  psychology  will  teach  you  that  the  brain-mind  can  grasp 
nothing  of  which  the  picture,  or  at  least  some  idea,  has  not  been 
registered  within  it  by  stimuli  reaching  it  through  some  ave- 
nue of  perception.  Hence,  since  the  language  of  the  spiritual 
plane  is  incomprehensible  to  the  mortal  mind,  the  Higher  Self 
has  to  make  use  of  symbology— in  other  words,  has  to  make  use 
of  pictures  of  every  day  events  with  which  the  brain-mind  is 
stored — to  convey  the  desired  lesson.  The  consciousness  of 
each  Soul  is  a  private  book  open  only  to  the  Higher  Self  who 
is  giving  the  instructions.  Therefore,  while  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  lessons  may  be  known,  we  do  not  know  the  particu- 
lar one  given  at  a  particular  time.  Hence  if  you  will  tell  us 
exactly  what  you  were  able  to  remember  of  any  lesson,  we  will 
gladly  interpret  it  for  you. 

This  is  the  explanation  of  all  coherent  dreams,  as  well  as 
signs  and  omens.  Simply  some  common  thing  which  the  brain- 
mind  will  understand  is  pictured  to  you  that,  by  analogy,  "As 
above,  so  below, ' '  you  may  grasp  the  underlying  divine  truth. 

Jan.  27th,  1908. 

"Sometimes  during  sleep  I  seem  to  comprehend  that  a  mes- 
sage is  sent  me  by  another,  and  at  times  I  feel  that  I  am  send- 
ing myself  a  message " 

It  would  seem  that  you  have  brought  back  with  you,  in  a 
fragmentary  way,  impressions  from  the  spiritual  plane  clothed 
in  physical  symbology.  However,  your  impression  of  having 
received  messages  from  higher  sources  is  quite  correct.  You 
have  also  given  yourself  messages ;  for,  during  sleep  the  Higher 
Self,  who  is  one  with  the  Supreme,  is  the  Captain  in  Command 
as  it  were,  and  is  always  trying  to  impress  upon  you  the  teach- 
ings that  are  your  birthright.  The  best  way  to  remember  these 
lessons  is  to  try  to  identify  your  lower  consciousness  with  the 


66  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

Divine  in  you.  Determine  that  you  will  become  what  you  really 
are  on  the  higher  planes — a  Divine  Emanation,  of  which  your 
lower  self  is  but  the  instrument,  but  one  which  must  be  tuned 
up  to  the  key-note  of  the  Divine  in  order  that  the  necessary 
lessons  may  be  impressed  upon  your  physical  brain.  It  is  very 
much  like  wireless  telegraphy.  The  force  is  sent  out,  but  unless 
the  receiver  is  attuned  to  the  key-note  of  the  sender,  the  vibra- 
tions cannot  be  received.  The  physical  must  register  the  Divine, 
and  in  doing  so  it  has  to  make  use  of  the  pictures  that  it  finds 
in  the  physical  brain.  This  is  why  you  can  come  into  conscious 
touch  with  the  Masters,  or  with  your  Higher  Self,  only  when 
you  have  attuned  your  mind  and  life  to  Their  plane  and  can 
understand  Their  language ;  for  there  must  be  something  upon 
which  to  register  and  a  language  or  means  of  communication 
whose  meaning  you  can  grasp. 

June  17th,  1908. 
"Two  dreams  made  a  great  impression  on  me.     The  first 

one  when  I  was  in  my  native  country happened  when 

I  was  about  18  years  old.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  traveling,  trav- 
eling on  foot  through  fields  and  solitary  deserted  countries 
through  snow  and  ice.  I  was  tired  and  footsore  and  hungry,  on 
each  step  I  stumbled  and  fell.  I  was  discouraged  and  despond- 
ent yet  I  tried  to  keep  on  moving,  going,  going  without  end. 

"The  second  dream  I  had  about  13  years  ago  when  I  began 
to  investigate  spiritualism.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  introduced,  i.  e. 
brought  to,  Jesus,  who  sat  in  a  small  room  bare  of  any  furni- 
ture except  a  plain  wooden  judge's  chair  with  a  straight  back, 
on  which  He  sat  all  clad  in  a  white  robe  of  ancient  style.  He 
was  there  alone.  A  man  with  a  flowing  beard,  bareheaded,  clad 
in  ancient  apostolic  dress,  carrying  a  long  staff,  brought  me  be- 
fore Jesus.  But  Jesus  looked  very  sternly  and  would  not  accept 

me The  purpose  I  was  brought  to  Jesus  I  understood 

was  to  be  initiated  into  a  secret  lodge." 

Your  first  dream  was  an  out-picturing  of  the  very  attitude 
and  experiences  that  you  are  now  passing  through.  The  cold, 
ice-bound  country  over  which  you  stumbled  so  foot-sore  and 
weary,  yet  with  the  determination  to  keep  on  going,  is  your 
present  condition.  You  have  stuck  doggedly  to  it  in  spite  of 
discouragement  and  it  has  now  brought  you  to  a  house  of  rest 
where  we  bid  you  stay  and  consider  the  way  you  have  come, 
and  henceforth  walk  without  stumbling  over  the  hillocks  of  ice, 
and  draw  near  to  the  streams  of  love  that  will  manifest  to  you 
the  moment  you  open  your  heart  to  receive  them. 

Your  second  dream  was  also  most  significant,  and  in  an- 
other way  warned  you  of  the  stumbling  blocks  which  you 


DfcEAMS  AND  VISIONS.  67 

should  avoid.  Once  more  are  you  brought,  by  the  same  guide, 
into  the  presence  of  The  Christ  for  judgment.  But  this  time 
it  is  not  a  mere  prefiguring,  but  an  actual  working  out  of  the 
dream.  You  stand  today  in  that  empty  Hall  of  Initiation, 
empty  of  everything  but  your  own  Soul  and  your  Judge.  No 
failure  of  another  can  excuse  you.  The  Judge  asks,  "Brother, 
are  you  ready  to  stand  alone  and  naked  for  judgment?  What 
has  your  own  Soul  to  answer?"  .The  answer  is  breathlessly 
awaited. 

This  Order  is  the  outward  manifestation  of  the  secret 
Lodge  into  whose  outer  courts  you  will  enter  if  you  pass  your 
initiation.  When  the  main  question  is  answered  all  will  come 
about  well.  You  are  not  forgotten  or  lost  in  the  icy  world,  but 
a  hand  strong  and  warm  is  reaching  out  to  you.  Will  you 
take  it? 

Feb.  27th,  1908. 

"I  was  shown  a  full  moon  in  the  heavens,  then  three  sunrises 
in  succession,  but  the  sun  did  not  fully  rise." 

Your  vision  of  the  full  moon  and  the  sunrises  was  very  sig- 
nificant of  the  teachings  that  are  promulgated  through  this 
Order.  The  moon  symbolizes  intuition,  also  the  feminine  prin- 
ciple. In  order  to  enter  the  real  ORDER  OF  THE  15,  up  to 
which  these  lessons  lead,  you  will  have  to  cultivate  those  prin- 
ciples ;  for  this  Order  represents  the  full  status  of  true  woman- 
hood. The  sun,  the  orb  of  day,  the  Prometheus'  Fire,  was 
rising  and  filling  the  world  with  glory,  yet  the  moon  (Luna, 
Queen  of  Night,  the  occult  or  unmanifested  side  of  life)  was 
full  and  was  shining  undimmed.  The  three  sunrises  while  Luna 
still  shown  have  a  deep  meaning  and  refer  to  a  period  of  time. 
This,  however,  is  a  purely  personal  matter  which  you  will,  no 
doubt,  understand.  The  whole  dream  was  an  effort  of  your 
Higher  Self  to  impress  upon  your  brain  consciousness  some  con- 
ception of  the  important  era  that  is  now  about  to  dawn  for  you. 

June    18th,    1908. 

"One  day  last  summer  while  resting  with  eyes  closed  I  had 
a  vision.  A  bunch  of  sunflowers  encircled  by  beautiful  hands 
was  held  out  to  me.  This  picture  gradually  dissolved  and  vio- 
lets appeared,  surrounded  with  green  leaves." 

Sunflowers  bring  to  you  the  force  of  the  sun.  They  are 
also  symbolic  of  faith  and  trust  and  steadfastness ;  for  they  are 
always  turning  a  smiling  face  to  the  burning  sun,  no  matter 


68         LETTERS  FROM  1HE  TEACHER. 

how  fierce  its  rays.  They  exemplify  the  words  of  Job,  "Though 
he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  him."  The  violets  bring  sweet  peace 
and  rest  and  modest  content,  and  a  willingness  to  do  the  duty 
that  lies  nearest  at  hand  in  love  and  patience. 


PART    VII. 
HEALTH    AND    DISEASE. 

"All  diseases,  except  such  as  come  from  mechanical  causes, 
have  an  invisible  origin,  and  of  such  sources  popular  medicine 

knows  very  little. There  is  a  great  difference  between 

the  power  that  removes  the  invisible  causes  of  disease,  and  which 
is  Magic,  and  that  which  causes  merely  external  effects  to  dis- 
appear, and  which  is  Psychic,  Sorcery,  and  Quackery."  Paracelsus. 


70         LETTERS  PROM  THE  TEACHER. 

April   27th,    1908. 

"Have  arrived  at  a  stage  of  development  where  I  need  the 
guidance  and  help  of  one  who  knows,  and  can  tell  me  what  to 
do  to  correct  the  suffering.  Can  neither  sit,  stand  nor  lie  down, 
but  what  I  am  conscious  of  pain  along  the  whole  length  of 
the  spinal  cord." 

We  sympathize  with  you  in  your  suffering,  and  desire  to 
help  you.  Take  the  HEALING  PRAYER1  as  your  daily  com- 
panion. That  is,  do  not  merely  repeat  it ;  but  take  it  with  you 
in  your  heart  and  repeat  it  word  by  word,  and  meditate  upon 
each  word  until  the  real  meaning  and  the  strength  becomes  a 
part  of  you.  Dwell  upon  it  until  even  the  sub-consciousness  of 
the  cells  of  your  body  begin  to  take  up  the  wonderful  vibra- 
tions of  the  healing  force,  and  the  Divine  Power  of  Omnipotent 
Life  finds  a  channel  through  which  it  can  flow  unimpeded  in 
healing  streams  through  all  your  bodies.  First,  picture  to  your- 
self for  at  least  a  day,  or  longer  if  you  cannot  make  it  a  reality 
in  that  time,  the  Master  Jesus.  Think  of  Him  as  a  man  Who 
has  obtained  mastery  over  physical  forces  and  who  especially 
understands  the  manipulation  of  and  correlation  with  the  One 
Life.  Think  of  Him  as  standing  at  the  head  of  the  great  Hie- 
rarchy of  Healing,  all-powerful  and  full  of  Wisdom,  knowing 
the  lessons  of  suffering  and  the  necessity  of  having  the  body 
adjust  itself  to  the  higher  vibrations;  knowing  that  suffering 
is  the  result  of  ignorance  as  to  just  how  to  bring  about  the  re- 
adjustment. This  readjustment  is  often  learned  only  after 
many  lives  of  suffering;  but  it  is  a  lesson  that  all  must  learn. 
Then  think  of  Him  as  a  loving,  tender,  helpful  Master  whose 
high  office  and  loving  desire  it  is  to  help  His  children  in  making 
their  readjustment ;  Who  is  waiting  and  watching  in  patience, 
and  in  love  that  passeth  understanding,  to  stretch  out  His 
hands  to  all  who  cry  unto  Him  aright.  THE  MERE  DESIRE 
FOR  PHYSICAL  RELIEF  IS  NOT  ENOUGH.  There  must  be 
a  realization  of  what  pain  is  and  why  you  suffer.  If  you  cannot 
find  such  a  realization,  then  a  cry  for  light,  and  understanding 
will  bring  it  to  you.  The  cry  should  not  be  to  take  away  the 
pain;  but  to  teach  you  the  lessons  of  pain.  Ask  with  all  your 
heart  and  KNOW  FULL  WELL  that  the  love  which  suffers 
with  you,  knowing  that  you  must  conquer  through  knowledge, 
is  only  too  eager  to  help  you.  Believe  that  your  Father  sees 
you  while  you  are  yet  a  great  way  off,  and  goes  forth  to  meet 

1  See  Appendix. 


HEALTH   AND    DISEASE.  71 

you.    The  new  robe  of  health  and  purity  is  awaiting  you,  and 
the  feast  is  spread. 

In  this  way,  sentence  by  sentence,  go  over  the  Prayer 
taking  a  new  sentence  each  day,  and  verily,  verily  when  you 
have  grasped  the  meaning  of  it  all  the  new  life  will  be  yours. 
But  remember  that  all  spiritual  force  must  enter  the  physical 
body  from  the  spiritual,  and  after  thoroughly  refreshing  and 
rejuvenating  the  astral  body  it  will  find  expression  in  the  phys- 
ical. Hence  no  real  healing  of  physical  ills  can  be  effectual  un- 
til a  correlation  is  made  with  the  One  Life.  By  correlation  is 
meant  free  and  unimpeded  communication  with  and  circulation 
of  spiritual  life  through  all  your  bodies,  so  that  the  will  of  the 
Father  is  done  on  earth  even  as  it  is  in  heaven. 

May   llth,   1908. 

"I  am  now  entering  a  fast  which  by  the  intuitions  at  its  finish 
brings  to  me  or  brings  me  into  those  Christ  powers,  to  attain 
which  each  Neophyte  enters  the  Path." 

We  would  warn  you  against  any  process  of  forcing  your 
psychic  development,  such  as  fasting  and  the  like,  with  the 
expectation  of  thus  securing  so-called  "Christ-powers."  The 
only  way  to  really  secure  The  Christ-power  is  to  live  The  Christ 
life  and  let  the  powers  develop  themselves  in  a  natural  way  as 
the  result  of  duty  well  done,  love  and  supreme  devotion  and  at- 
tention to  your  daily  duties.  Any  abnormal  growth  which  would 
apparently  result  from  fasting  (except  under  very  exceptional 
circumstances,  which  are  not  present  in  your  case)  would  be 
but  a  mushroom  growth,  the  result  of  weakness  and  hysteria, 
not  strength.  Especially  would  this  be  true  if  at  such  a  time 
the  duties  of  your  life  called  for  all  your  physical  strength  to 
fulfill  them  properly,  and  while  your  husband  and  family  were 
making  just  demands  upon  your  physical  powers. 

The  real  Christ-power  comes  as  a  conqueror  of  all  experi- 
ences. It  is  a  perfect  atom  given  into  your  keeping;  and  there 
must  be  a  sound,  strong  body.  The  physical  must  be  conquered 
and  controlled,  not  killed  out;  and  it  must  be  taught  through 
the  power  of  The  Christ  and  not  through  fasting.  Everything 
that  you  crush  out  and  weaken  must  be  taken  up  again  and 
again  until  you  do  your  full  duty  by  it.  If  you  develop  your 
mental  or  psychic  or  spiritual  faculties  at  the  expense  of  the 
physical,  you  must  incarnate  again,  but  with  a  poor  weak 
physical  body  which  will  tie  you  down  to  earth  while  the 
strong  mental,  psychic  or  spiritual  powers  developed  prema- 


n         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

turely  long  to  be  free  to  follow  their  higher  dictates.  This  is 
The  Law  my  child,  and  in  love  I  must  warn  you.  There  is  no 
step  too  common  to  take;  for  each  has  its  lesson  or  it  would 
not  be  given  you.  To  neglect  one  step  means  to  come  back 
later  and  take  it  up,  perhaps  all  alone.  If  you  break  down  or 
lessen  your  physical  health  and  thus  fail  in  your  full  duty  to 
your  husband  and  child,  when  you  return  to  go  over  the  lesson 
again  you  may  have  not  only  a  weak,  miserable  body,  but  you 
may  be  deprived  of  a  husband's  love  and  a  child's  care;  for 
that  which  we  fail  to  fully  appreciate  the  Great  Law  removes 
from  us.  This  is  the  kindest  way,  and  the  only  way,  to  teach 
us.  The  Great  Law  works  on,  and  it  matters  not  whether  you 
fail  because  you  believed  the  Christ-powers  could  be  gained  by 
fasting  or  not.  Your  duty  is  to  walk  side  by  side  with  your 
husband  in  strength  and  love;  to  be  a  help-mate  to  him  on  all 
planes,  physical  as  well  as  mental  and  spiritual.  You  have 
already  found  The  Christ  within,  then  remember  that  The 
,  Christ  follower  is  faithful  in  everything,  the  little  daily  tasks 
as  well  as  the  great  ones. 

At  all  times  live  and  eat  abstemiously;  but  so  that  the 
physical  body  is  properly  nourished,  and  give  as  little  thought 
to  it  as  possible.  By  this  means  you  will  find  it  much  easier  to 
dwell  in  the  higher  realms.  The  animal  nature,  to  be  the  servant 
of  the  Real  Self,  must  be  well  taken  care  of;  well  fed,  well 
groomed  and  comfortable,  but  not  over-fed  or  indulged.  Thus 
taken  care  of  the  animal  will  do  far  better  work  and  make  far 
fewer  demands  than  one  that  is  starved  or  ill-treated.  You 
need  the  animal  for  your  servant,  and  you  need  all  its  powers 
in  their  best  possible  condition,  therefore,  treat  it  as  you  would 
any  other  finely  bred  animal  of  which  you  expected  great 
intelligence  and  great  service. 

Those  who  spend  much  thought  on  what  they  shall  NOT 
eat  are  dwelling  in  the  stable  with  the  animal  just  as  surely  as 
those  who  spend  great  thought  upon  what  they  shall  eat.  The 
Great  Master  Jesus  said:  "Take  no  thought  what  ye  shall  eat, 
nor  wherewithall  ye  shall  be  clothed ;  for  your  heavenly  Father 
knoweth  ye  have  need  of  all  these  things."  This  means  literally 
to  get  along  with  as  little  thought  on  these  matters  as  is  con- 
sistent with  keeping  the  animal  in  good  working  condition. 
Make  yourself  pleasant  to  the  eye,  neat  and  comfortable,  then 
waste  no  more  time  about  it  or  in  worrying  over  it.  One  who 
dresses  in  sack-cloth  and  ashes  and  lives  on  bread  and  water, 


HEALTH  AND  DISEASE.  73 

often  thinks  more  of  that  eating  and  drinking  and  dressing 
than  a  comfortable  liver.  Such  things  engender  spiritual  pride, 
and  of  all  vices  spiritual  pride  is  the  worst.  It  is  the  most 
detrimental  to  the  Soul's  advance  because  the  hardest  to  cure. 

May  19th,  1908. 
"I  have  been  quite  ill  again,  and  I  should  like  to  know  just 

what  is  the  cause  of  it and  what  to  do  to  avoid  these 

spells  in  the  future." 

We  will  try  to  give  you  an  understanding  of  the  conditions 
in  your  case.  You  have  taken  a  decided  step  upward  and  are 
feeling  the  change  of  vibrations.  All  life  is  due  to  vibrations 
emanating  from  the  great,  pulsating  Heart  of  the  Unmani- 
fested.  Conceive  of  the  pulsations  as  coming  from  the  center 
of  a  circle  and  radiating  outward  to  the  circumference.  Draw 
seven  concentric  circles  and  each  one  will  represent  a  step  in- 
ward toward  the  center ;  and  in  each  the  vibrations  will  become 
faster  and  faster,  finer  and  finer ;  for  naturally  they  slow  down 
as  they  get  farther  and  farther  away  from  their  source,  being 
slowest  on  the  outer  rim — the  physical  plane.  Therefore,  a 
body  attuned  to  the  vibrations  of  the  physical  plane  would  be 
subjected  to  great  strain  when  indrawn  to  where  the  vibrations 
were  more  rapid.  This  is  so  true  that  if  a  sudden  jump  were 
possible  instant  disintegration  would  result.  At  every  step 
taken  by  the  Soul  there  must  be  a  readjustment  of  the  par- 
ticles of  the  various  bodies  until  they  all  harmonize  with  the 
vibratory  unit  of  the  step.  This  often  results  in  physical  illness 
and,  if  not  understood,  the  neophyte  is  apt  to  grow  discour- 
aged and  think  he  is  growing  worse  rather  than  better.  But 
when  understood  it  is  no  more  alarming  or  unreasonable  than 
that  an  eruptive  disease  should  first  have  to  reach  its  crisis  be- 
fore a  cure  could  be  effected ;  it  is  all  a  part  of  the  cure.  You 
have  asked  that  the  Lord  of  Health  shall  lay  His  hands  upon 
you,  and  you  must  understand  that  your  request  is  being  lit- 
erally fulfilled.  But  all  that  is  evil  must  be  cleansed;  all  our 
sins,  omissions  and  misapplications  of  the  Law  of  Health  must 
first  be  readjusted  ere  we  can  be  filled  with  ' 'Life  and  Love  and 
Purity."  This  is  the  only  rationale  of  healing  and  is  recog- 
nized by  all  regular  schools  of  medicine.  We  so  often  forget 
that  there  is  but  one  law,  "As  above,  so  below. M  You  must 
recognize  and  realize  that  the  Divine  Healer,  represented  by 
the  Master  Jesus,  is  present  with  you  and  has,  at  your  request, 
laid  His  hands  (powers)  upon  you.  So  be  still,  and  patiently 


74         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

trust  and  love  and  believe  that  every  step  all  the  way  through 
is  but  a  step  toward  the  great,  pulsating  Heart  of  Love  which 
is  Life  and  Health  and  Immortality.  You  can  retard  or  accel- 
erate this  readjustment  by  your  attitude  of  mind  exactly  as  a 
patient  can  help  or  hinder  a  physician  in  his  physical  cure. 

Jan.   23rd,    1908. 

"I  have  made  little  progress  in  occult  studies.  In  one  sense 
I  have  made  a  complete  failure;  am  unable  to  concentrate;  am 
physically  weak;  have  never  had  the  power  of  concentration, 
at  least  so  far  back  as  my  remembrance  goes.  My  mind  seems 
to  be  going  to  pieces.  Sometimes  I  think  that  I,  as  an  entity, 
am  being  disintegrated.  Sometimes  I  think  I  have  acquired  all 
there  is  for  me  in  this  incarnation — that  I  must  pass  on,  rest 

and  assimilate  what  I  have  already  learned I  desire 

the  help  you  offer  if  so  you  CAN  help  me,  for  I  realize  that  life 
is  a  matter  of  the  growth  of  the  soul." 

Your  cry  for  help  has  reached  our  ears  and  we  understand 
your  difficulty.  While  your  Soul  is  learning  its  various  lessons 
the  one  GREAT  LESSON — the  key-note  of  your  present  incar- 
nation— is  only  slowly  impressing  itself  upon  your  brain  con- 
sciousness, namely,  the  necessity  for  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound 
body.  You  lose  hold  of  the  steps  gained  because,  through  the 
weakness  of  the  body,  your  mind  grows  morbid  and  the  con- 
tinuity of  the  three-fold  chain — spirit-mind-body — is  broken. 
Bodily  weakness  should  not  be  looked  upon  either  as  a  failure 
or  as  a  karmic  debt,  altho  in  some  cases  it  might  be  either  or 
both.  However,  no  matter  what  its  immediate  cause,  it  is  a 
lesson.  Often  it  is  a  needed  lesson  in  patience  and  sympathy 
for  suffering  that  locks  the  Soul  in  such  a  body ;  but  more  often 
it  is  a  lesson  that  only  a  great  Soul  is  ready  to  learn.  But  it  is 
one  that  all  Souls  must  master  before  passing  on,  i.  e.  to  so 
dominate  the  body  of  flesh  that  has  been  given  them  to  gain 
experience  through  that  the  Soul-impress  may  be  indelibly 
fixed  in  its  matter. 

The  first  step  in  this  direction  awakens  within  the  phys- 
ical aura  an  extreme  sensitiveness,  even  physical  weakness.  If 
this  is  correctly  understood  and  lifted  up  and  correlated  with 
the  true  Source  of  Life  and  Strength,  it  is  a  help  rather  than  a 
hindrance.  If  it  is  looked  upon  as  an  hindrance,  and  the  door  is 
flung  open  to  all  the  devils  of  dis-ease,  the  last  state  of  that 
man  or  woman  is  worse  than  the  first.  The  thought  to  hold,  in 
your  case,  is  that  your  very  physical  sensitiveness  brings  you 
into  closer  touch  with  the  Great  Souls  of  Compassions  (the 


HEALTH    AND    DISEASE.  75 

Masters  of  Wisdom)  and  makes  the  physical  envelope  more 
ethereal.    It  thus  becomes  a  blessing  rather  than  a  curse. 

March   17th,   1908. 

"My  daughter  has  been  very  ill,  and  lately  from  overwork 
I  have  been  confined  to  my  room. " 

We  sympathize  with  you  in  your  recent  illness  and  are 
sorry  that  the  HEALING  PRAYER  did  not  reach  you  in  time 
to  be  used.  While  we  do  not  take  the  position  that  all  illness 
can  be  cured  by  prayer,  yet,  most  of  the  ills  from  which 
humanity  suffers  are  not  so  much  the  karmic  effects  of  the  past 
as  of  inharmony  in  the  present  life.  In  the  rush  and  scramble 
for  existence  you  get  out  of  harmony  with  Divine  Love  and  at 
dis-ease  with  yourself.  Hence  a  period  of  forced,  and  gener- 
ally painful,  readjusting  and  quiet  becomes  necessary.  In  all 
such  cases  the  HEALING  PRAYER,  if  repeated  either  mentally 
or  aloud,  will  at  once  change  the  vibrations  and  bring  rest  and 
peace,  and  ultimately  health — ease  instead  of  dis-ease. 

April   28th,    1908. 

"I  have  few  personal  sorrows,  but  the  world's  sorrows  wear 
my  heart  away  and  injure  my  health,  yet  I  realize  that  sorrow 
is  the  only  purifying  fount  at  which  the  thirsting  soul  may 
drink  of  eternal  life  and  happiness." 

We  feel  that  you  need  a  tonic  which  will  clear  up  the 
morbid  sensitiveness  that  is  literally  sapping  your  life-force. 
It  is  a  mistake  that  is  often  made,  and  one  that  is  fostered  by 
the  teachings  of  all  the  orthodox  churches,  as  well  as  by  many 
other  organizations,  that  sorrow  is  the  only  road  to  purifi- 
cation; that  to  be  miserable  is  meritorious,  and  that  only 
through  scourging  and  suffering  can  we  hope  for  salvation. 
The  truth  is  that,  when  we  realize  how  much  sorrow  there  is  in 
the  world,  and  know  of  a  certainty  that  THOUGHTS  ARE 
THINGS,  and  that  either  joy  or  sadness  has  the  power  to 
spread  over  a  large  area,  it  becomes  our  duty  to  be  joyful  and 
happy.  In  fact  the  very  reason  for  seeking  Wisdom  and  draw- 
ing near  to  God  is  that  our  finite  eyes  may  be  opened  to  some 
of  the  glory  and  love  "that  would  not  that  any  perish,  but 
that  all  have  everlasting  life. ' '  Indeed,  all  must  and  shall  be 
saved ;  and  joy  is  a  most  potent  factor  in  this  salvation. 

As  to  the  world's  sorrow,  while  we  must  sympathize  with 
it  and  do  all  in  our  power  to  help,  yet  Wisdom  teaches  that 
ALL  are  God's  children;  that  they  work  out  their  salvation  in 
fear  and  trembling  and  sorrow  only  because  they  refuse  to 


76          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

learn  the  lesson  of  salvation  in  any  other  way.  They  suffer 
BECAUSE  THEY  CHOOSE  TO  SUFFER,  yet  God  would  not 
have  it  so.  If  the  world's  sorrow  oppresses  you,  remember  that 
the  very  best  you  can  do  toward  lifting  that  heavy  load  is  to 
make  a  center  of  joy  and  gladness  in  your  own  heart.  " Re- 
joice in  the  Lord;  and  again  I  say  unto  you  rejoice."  I  wish 
I  could  impress  this  word  REJOICE  upon  your  mind  so  that  in 
turn,  by  the  power  of  your  Will,  you  could  impress  it  upon  the 
consciousness  of  every  atom  of  your  body,  which  consciousness 
in  the  aggregate  is  your  subconscious  mind.  If  you  could 
register  this  idea  of  rejoicing  within  your  subconscious  mind 
you  would  literally  breathe  health  into  your  body.  Try  to  re- 
alize what  health  really  means.  It  means  doing  the  will  of  the 
Father  on  earth,  in  your  physical  body,  as  it  is  done  in  Heaven 
in  your  spiritual  body  by  your  Higher  Self,  who  is  one  with 
the  Father;  in  which  body  there  is  no  sickness,  nor  sorrow, 
nor  death.  Take  up  this  thought  and  meditate  upon  it  while 
constantly  repeating  the  HEALING  PRAYER.  Also  repeat  the 
Lord's  Prayer  and  at  the  same  time  feel  that  you  are  creating 
a  circle  of  life  and  health  and  joy  that  is  filled  with  a  bright 
light  which  sends  its  beams  far  out  into  the  darkness  to  lead 
many  an  one  to  joy  and  peace. 

"I  have  been  ill.  I  went  to  Christian  Science  for  relief. 
Three  weeks  ago  I  felt  that  I  was  well.  Today  the  outward 
sign  of  ill-health  is  as  conspicuous  as  ever.  The  healer  says  I 
am  cured  of  the  original  trouble.  If  so  why  should  the  mani- 
festation reappear? Either  their  teachings  in  many 

cases  do  not  agree  with  this  Order  or  I  am  unable  to  see  the 
resemblance Can  you  help  me  to  see  my  way?" 

We  will  try  to  point  out  to  you  where  we  differ  from  the 
Christian  Scientists ;  for,  while  we  know  that  they  have  gotten 
hold  of  a  mighty  truth,  we  also  know  that,  like  all  experiment- 
ers in  any  field,  they  have  not  yet  had  time  to  grasp  all  its 
workings. 

Christian  Science  is  a  new  and  modern  cult,  and  the  re- 
sults of  their  supposed  discovery  have  not  been  observed  long 
enough  for  them  to  mark  the  ultimate  results.  Only  those  who 
can  watch  through  the  ages  and  can  follow  the  Soul  through 
many  incarnations  and  note  the  resulting  effect  of  such  experi- 
ments through  many  lives,  can  fully  understand  the  action  of 
the  great  Law  of  Healing. 

The  way  that  we  advise  you  to  help  toward  bettering  earth 
conditions  such  as  health,  poverty  etc.,  is  to  hold  a  strong 


HEALTH    AND    DISEASE.  77 

thought  that  absolute  JUSTICE  shall  prevail,  even  though  it 
bring  suffering.  Hold  that  the  patient  shall  be  spiritually  en- 
lightened so  that  whatever  the  lesson  which  the  sickness,  pov- 
erty or  other  unhappiness  is  intended  to  teach  will  be  quickly 
grasped.  Understand,  the  patient  must  cure  himself.  No  one 
can  do  more  than  aid  in  the  readjustment.  The  most  that  a 
true  healer  is  permitted  to  do,  aside  from  the  use  of  physical 
aids,  is  to  send  loving,  helpful  thoughts  of  an  uplifting  charac- 
ter,— never  to  use  his  personal  magnetism  or  impress  his  Will 
upon  the  patient's  subconscious  mind. 

Often  by  pouring  his  personal  magnetism  (prana)  into  the 
aura  of  a  patient  or  by  sheer  force  of  Will,  one  may  so  influ- 
ence another  as  to  temporarily  drive  away  sickness  or  trouble, 
but  if  the  real  lesson  which  the  sickness  or  trouble  was  meant 
to  teach  has  not  been  learned  by  the  patient  the  moment  the 
Will-power  is  withdrawn  the  trouble  will  return.  Or,  if  the 
Will-power  has  been  strong  enough,  the  trouble  may  be  driven 
back  from  off  the  physical  plane  to  appear  upon  some  higher 
plane,  perhaps  in  a  different  form  such  as  some  form  of  nervous 
disorder  or  mental  trouble.  If  the  Will-power  of  the  healer  is 
exerted  to  accomplish  this  then  the  healer  has  interfered  with 
The  Law,  and  he  or  she  will  find  him  or  herself  drawn  into  the 
next  wave  of  inharmony  that  sweeps  over  the  one  they  tried 
to  help.  * 

Understand  clearly,  whatever  sicknesses,  troubles  or  trials 
come  to  a  person  are  either  the  result  of  broken  law  or  are  con- 
ditions given  by  the  Higher  Self  of  the  patient  to  teach  certain 
necessary  lessons  and  thus  gain  the  experience  needed  to  take 
the  Soul  a  step  onward.  To  throw  the  troubles  off  or  to  push 
them  back  by  the  life-force  (prana)  or  by  the  Will-power  of 
another  and  refuse  to  learn  the  lessons  intended  is  only  to  post- 
pone them.  The  forces  of  nature  give  unquestioning  obedience 
to  The  Law  and  The  Law  is  that  perfect  harmony  shall  prevail 
upon  all  planes.  All  broken  contracts  and  all  disobedience  to 
The  Law  produce  inharmony  on  all  planes  at  the  same  time. 
And  the  persons  bringing  into  action  the  particular  inharmoni- 
ous note  must  THEMSELVES  readjust  every  wave  of  inhar- 
mony that  has  been  produced  by  their  acts  before  harmony 
can  be  restored  in  their  lives. 

It  is  not  denial  of  inharmony  that  settles  the  score ;  but  a 
recognition  of  it  and  the  correction  of  its  cause.  If  through 
Will-power  you  push  it  aside  and  apparently  gain  either  health, 


78          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

wealth  or  some  earthly  comfort  ere  the  readjustment  is  made, 
the  inharmony  will  gather  force  by  the  very  pushing  back  and 
will  sweep  over  you  again  and  again  until  it  is  recognized  and 
adjusted.  As  the  great  Master  Jesus  said:  "For  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall 
in  no  wise  pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled. ' '  This  is  a 
benign  and  beneficent  law;  for  it  is  only  by  reaping  what  we 
have  sown,  and  eating  the  fruits  thereof,  that  we  can  ever  learn 
to  plant  wheat  instead  of  tares. 

Therefore,  you  can  see  that  for  a  mental  healer  to  control 
the  forces  operating  against  a  patient  he  must  first  be  fully 
cognizant  of  (a)  just  what  the  forces  are,  (b)  what  old  karmic 
conditions  they  are  working  out,  (c)  what  important  lesson  the 
Higher  Self  is  trying  to  teach  by  means  of  the  action  of  the 
forces  and  (d)  whether  or  not  the  patient  has  learned  the  les- 
son and  benefited  by  the  experience.  Thus  you  can  see  that 
to  fully  and  intelligently  understand  all  these  factors  would 
require  almost  super-human  wisdom  and  descretion.  And  to 
undertake,  as  so  many  do,  to  control  or  to  interfere  with  those 
forces,  without  any  conception  of  the  possibilities  in  which  they 
may  be  involved,  is  as  foolish  as  for  a  child  to  play  with  dynam- 
ite. You  can  do  it ;  but  only  at  a  terrible  risk. 

But  never  cease  to  help  anyone  in  distress  or  cease  to  use 
all  ordinary  means  to  benefit  them  for  fear  of  interfering  with 
their  Karma ;  for  this  you  cannot  do  if  you  devote  your  energy 
to  the  betterment  of  their  spiritual  welfare  rather  than  to  their 
physical  desires.  It  is  right  to  do  all  in  your  power  at  all  times 
to  help  those  in  distress,  and  if  you  bear  in  mind  these  facts 
failure  will  not  discourage  you  nor  will  seeming  success  unduly 
elate  you ;  for  you  will  understand  that  at  most  you  have  been 
but  a  channel  through  which  the  Divine  Force  should  flow. 

Understand  that  it  is  not  that  we  disapprove  of  individual 
Christian  Scientists,  for  there  are  many  beautiful  Souls  among 
them  who  are  devoting  their  lives  to  serve  humanity  according 
to  their  highest  conception  of  right ;  but  we  do  realize  that  the 
cult  is  but  a  one-sided  glimpse  of  Truth,  and  it  is  therefore  far 
from  complete.  We  do  not  object,  however,  to  any  path  pro- 
vided you  remember  the  main  fact  that  to  be  whole  you  must 
find  out  why  you  are  sick,  and  what  lesson  it  was  meant  to 
teach.  For  the  moment  you  do  this  in  that  moment  the  trouble 
or  sickness  will  fall  from  you  like  a  garment  cast  off. 

We  ask  you  to  repeat  the  HEALING  PRAYER  over  and 


HEALTH    AND    DISEASE.  79 

over  again,  especially  morning  and  evening,  and  study  the 
lesson  and  try  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  Divine  Healing.  Every 
time  you  repeat  the  Prayer  let  your  mind  turn  to  this  Center 
with  a  full  knowledge  that  here  is  a  Center  from  which  there 
radiates  Love  and  the  healing  Christ-force  to  all.  Each  one 
who  puts  himself  into  touch  with  this  force  must  be  helped.  It 
is  like  the  Brazen  Serpent  lifted  up  by  Moses  in  the  wilderne  s, 
all  who  look  or  come  mentally,  with  child-like  love  and  faith, 
will  be  healed  in  Soul  and  body. 

*  "I  am  suffering  from  an  old  wound  on  my  right  leg  just 
above  the  knee  joint.  Fifteen  years  ago  a  surgeon  cut  a  hole 
through  the  bone  and  it  does  not  heal,  continually  discharges 
pus.  I  dread  another  operation  as  I  am  56  years  old,  otherwise 
healthy  and  do  not  use  tobacco  or  liquor.  Have  been  advised 
to  try  Christian  Science.  Can  you  give  me  any  advice?" 

We  do  not  advise  Christian  Science  for  your  leg.  Altho 
the  only  real  help  and  cure  for  all  ills  is  what  we  call  Divine 
Healing  as  explained  in  the  lesson  on  THE  HEALING 
PRAYER,  i.  e.  the  subordinating  of  the  flesh  to  the  Higher  or 
Divine  Self  and  the  harmonizing  of  all  atoms  to  the  key-note 
of  Divinity,  still  this  is  an  advanced  step  and  there  are  many 
intermediate  ones  before  it  can  be  made  practical  in  the  case  of 
organic  disease.  Therefore,  when  there  is  a  physical,  anatom- 
ical lesion  it  should  be  corrected  upon  its  own  plane  and  re- 
adjusted by  physical  means  that  it  may  the  quicker  be  in  a  con 
dition  to  permit  the  Divine  "Life  and  Love  and  Purity"  to 
flow  through  it  unimpeded  and  thus  complete  the  cure. 

We  differentiate  between  cure  and  mere  readjustment. 
That  which  has  gone  awry  from  purely  physical  causes  must  be 
put  into  a  perfect  physical  condition  ere  the  Divine  Life  can 
fill  it  and  harmonize  it  with  the  Divine.  It  is  useless  to  waste 
force  of  Will  or  expend  mental  activity  in  endeavoring  to  re- 
adjust what  can  quite  as  well  be  corrected  and  put  in  condition 
for  nature  to  finish,  by  physical  means,  thus  leaving  the  Will 
to  be  expended  upon  the  higher  planes  in  bringing  about  the 
At-one-ment  with  the  Higher  Self  which  will  manifest  as  per- 
fect health  on  all  planes. 

Since  you  say  your  wound  has  been  discharging  pus  for 
years  we  would  judge  that  there  is  some  chronic  necrotic  proc- 
ess at  work  in  the  bone  and  that  this  has  become  infected, 
and  where  pus  is  present  we  can  only  say,  Get  it  out  as  quickly 
as  possible.  Our  best  advice  to  you  is  for  you  to  go  to  the  best 


80  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

surgeon  or  to  the  best  hospital  you  know  of  and  have  the 
necrotic  tissue  removed,  for  nature  has  been  unable  to  slough 
it  out  after  years  of  her  best  endeavors  and  she  needs  a  little 
help. 

If,  as  you  say,  you  are  otherwise  healthy  and  do  not  use 
tobacco  or  liquor  you  should  not  dread  an  operation ;  for  if  you 
had  a  bad  heart  or  other  vital  organs  you  would  not  be  given 
a  general  anesthetic.  Then,  too,  the  danger  of  an  anesthetic 
nowadays  is  very  slight;  only  about  one  in  16,000  cases  taking 
them  as  they  come,  good  and  bad  condition  alike.  There  is  a 
vast  difference  in  the  ground  for  dread  of  a  surgical  operation 
between  the  conditions  under  which  operations  were  done 
fifteen  years  ago  and  today;  more  than  the  difference  between 
travel  in  a  stage-coach  and  in  a  modern  limited  express.  The 
danger  from  surgical  operations  is  largely  because  patients 
wait  until  they  are  about  to  die  and  have  given  up  hope  of  re- 
covery before  having  the  operation  performed,  even  the  sur- 
geon consenting  only  as  a  last  resort.  If  taken  early  there  is 
almost  no  danger,  certainly  nothing  compared  to  allowing  the 
condition  to  continue  unrelieved. 

"My  husband's  health  is  not  good,  and  I  have  been  having 

a  very  anxious  time He  has  just  commenced  to  take  a 

remedy  that  a  psychic  healer  has  prescribed  and  we  hope  he 
will  be  improved." 

As  to  trusting  your  husband's  health  to  a  psychic  healer 
we  would  say,  and  say  so  emphatically  that  you  cannot  mis- 
understand our  words,  that,  in  the  case  of  physical  diseases,  all 
psychic  treatment  must  be  supplementary  to  the  best  physical 
treatment  obtainable  from  the  best  physician  you  know  of.  If 
a  psychic  gives  a  diagnosis,  before  acting  upon  that  diagnosis 
go  to  the  best  physician  or  hospital  you  can  reach  and  have  a 
thorough  physical  examination.  If  the  doctor's  diagnosis  agrees 
in  the  main  with  that  of  the  psychic  it  may  be  followed  under 
the  doctor's  direction.  In  case  the  psychic  gives  more  subtle 
symptoms  not  discovered  by  the  physician,  tell  him  frankly 
what  you  suspect,  but  without  letting  him  know  where  you  got 
your  suspicion.  If  he  fails  to  find  any  evidence  of  such  symp- 
toms after  several  thorough  examinations  it  is  well  to  disre- 
gard them.  There  is  so  much  room  for  self-deception  in  the 
transmission  of  psychic  information  that  the  only  safe  course 
to  pursue  is  to  prove  it.  It  should  always  be  verified  by  the 
conditions  found  or  else  should  commend  itself  to  your  good 


HEALTH    AND    DISEASE.  81 

judgment  and  common  sense  and  be  judged  just  as  the  advice 
given  by  any  friend  who  was  not  a  trained  physician  would 
be  judged. 

Above  all,  never  take  any  kind  of  drug  or  medicine  except 
upon  the  prescription  of  a  physician  in  whose  professional  skill 
and  moral  qualities  you  have  confidence.  Magnetic  and  other 
psychic  treatments  and  massage  are  admirable  to  supplement 
the  other  forms  of  therapeutics,  but  we  warn  you  against  trust- 
ing the  case  in  the  hands  of  anyone  but  a  first  class  physician. 

We  recommend  the  HEALING  PRAYER  to  our  pupils  not 
to  take  the  place  of  proper  medical  treatment,  but  to  bring 
about  that  harmony  of  mind  and  body  which  every  physician 
now  recognizes  as  an  essential  element  in  the  treatment  of  dis- 
ease. We  give  it  to  bring  our  pupils  into  touch  with  the  vibra- 
tions of  the  One  Life  which  are  health ;  for  only  when  a  patient 
is  in  harmony  with  the  Well-spring  of  all  Life  (the  Divine)  can 
even  the  best  medical  treatment  be  more  than  palliative  or  push 
back  the  manifestation  of  the  disease  for  the  time  being  or  into 
another  channel.  Divine  Healing  should  go  hand  in  hand  with 
the  best  treatment  science  can  oifer;  for,  until  humanity  has 
entered  the  psychic  world  and  can  function  in  the  psychic  body 
and  use  the  psychic  faculties,  it  must  treat  physical  ills  with 
physical  remedies  as  a  basis.  All  psychic  treatment  can  be 
depended  upon  to  do  is  to  harmonize  the  psychic  currents  and 
influence  the  circulation.  Hence  diseased  conditions  arising 
from  mental  or  psychic  states  or  from  temporary  and  func- 
tional disorders  of  the  circulation  can  be  cured  by  psychic 
means,  and  psychic  treatment  can  even  be  an  important  factor 
in  the  cure  of  organic  disease. 

Divine  Healing  or  the  coming  into  harmony  with  the  cur- 
rent of  the  One  Life  can  and  wilkcure  in  time,  but  ere  it  can 
bring  about  a  cure  it  must  first,  as  the  HEALING  PRAYER  ex- 
presses it,  " drive  out  the  atoms  of  inharmony  and  disease." 
To  do  this  they  must  first  be  driven  from  the  mental  body,  the 
astral  body  and  then  out  of  the  physical  body,  and  during  this 
process  there  will  necessarily  be  a  manifestation  of  the  condi- 
tions in  the  physical  body  until  the  well  known  " healing  crisis" 
is  reached  and  the  elimination  is  ended.  Psychic  currents  can 
cure  psychic  diseases  and  greatly  influence  physical  diseases, 
but  the  physical  remedies  should  by  no  means  be  overlooked 
or  neglected;  for  the  physical  states  react  upon  the  psychic 
quite  as  much  as  the  psychic  do  upon  the  physical.  Therefore 


82  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

true  healing  combines  all  physical  agencies  with  the  psychic 
and  the  Divine,  for  these  three  are  one.  Divine  Healing  applied 
to  physical  diseases  will  work  out  a  cure  in  time,  but  it  may 
cause  a  worse  condition  before  it  can  cause  a  better. 

Our  best  advice  is  that  your  husband  should  use  the  same 
common  sense  that  he  would  employ  if  one  of  his  tools  was  out 
of  order.  He  would  not  wait  until  it  was  injured  beyond  re- 
pair or  until  there  was  not  enough  left  to  be  worth  repairing, 
but  he  would  have  the  first  break  remedied  before  it  got  be- 
yond control.  Do  the  same  with  the  bodily  machine. 


PART     VIII. 
THE   SEX   PROBLEM. 

"Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  which  made  them  at  the  begin- 
ning made  them  male  and  female, and  they  twain  shall 

be  one  flesh?    Wherefore  they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh. 
What  therefore    God   hath   joined   together,   let   no   man   put 

asunder. All  men  cannot  receive  this  saying,  save  they 

to  whom  it  is  given."    Matthew  XIX,  4-11. 


84  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

June  15th,  1908. 

"The  union  of  two  Souls  on  the  highest  plane  will  uplift 
humanity  as  little  else  can.     In  truth,  until  we  love  another 

absorbingly,  how  can  we  know  the  Love  of  Loves? 

Tell  me  what  you  think — is  it  true  that  there  is  for  each  of 
us  a  mate?     Or  is  celibacy  the  ideal? " 

You  ask  what  we  think  of  each  Soul  having  a  mate.  This 
doctrine,  if  it  can  be  called  such,  has  indeed  been  misconstrued 
and  used  as  an  excuse  for  all  sorts  of  loose  and  perverted  con- 
duct, yet,  like  all  things  that  are  good,  but  evil  when  perverted, 
it  holds  a  divine  germ  of  spiritual  truth.  This  truth  is  so  sacred, 
and  so  easily  misunderstood  and  perverted,  that  the  Masters  of 
Wisdom  have  ever  drawn  a  veil  over  it.  Only  the  few  who 
evolve  to  the  point  where  their  own  hands  can  draw  aside  the 
veil  can  hope  to  understand  it.  The  teachings  on  this  subject 
are  generally  given  direct  from  teacher  to  pupil  when  the  pupil 
is  ready. 

The  great  trouble  about  celibacy  has  always  been  that  those 
who  were  able  to  perceive  something  of  the  results  to  be  at- 
tained are  apt  to  forget  or  overlook  all  the  intermediate  steps. 
It  is  like  standing  on  a  plain  and  looking  up  at  a  mountain.  The 
snow  upon  the  peak  shines  out  white  and  clear  in  the  light  of 
the  sun  and  is  so  beautiful  that  the  gazer  feels  that  it  is  only  a 
little  beyond  his  grasp,  and  that  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  keep  his 
eye  upon  those  shining  heights  and  travel  on  and  on.  But  in 
reality  those  heights  kiss  the  sky;  their  climatic  conditions  are 
different ;  their  air  is  unfitted  for  the  lungs  of  the  dweller  of  the 
plain,  and  the  road  up  the  mountain  is  beset  with  dangers  and 
pitfalls.  The  path  that  seems  to  lead  straight  up  to  the  highest 
pinnacle  may  in  reality  skirt  a  number  of  deep  crevasses,  and  to 
safely  reach  the  heights  one  must  make  long  detours  and  pass 
through  many  dangerous  defiles  and  be  subject  to  many  un- 
known conditions.  The  conditions  at  the  top  may  be  absolutely 
harmful  to  the  aspiring  climber  unless,  by  long  training  and 
with  a  competent  guide,  he  learns  how  to  avoid  the  dark  and 
noisome  caverns  and  safely  tread  The  Path  to  the  heights. 

Jan.  26th,   1908. 

"I   long  to   transmute   all  the  inner  forces,   'The  animal- 
sensual/  and  all  that  holds  man  down  to  the  lower  planes,  into 

spiritual    energy... All   sensual   desire   upon   my   wife's 

part  has  disappeared,  and  with  me  great  improvement.    I  realize 
all  things  of  that  nature  must  be  conquered " 

Your  difficulty  is  known  to  us  and  we  will  try  to  impart  to 


THE  SEX   PROBLEM.  85 

you  the  remedy.  The  trouble  is  that  your  mind  and  heart  have 
outrun  your  physical  development.  You  are  trying  to  tear  open 
the  bud  of  personality  instead  of  allowing  it  to  unfold  in  the 
sunlight  of  the  god  of  Love.  A  most  important  lesson  to  re- 
member is  that  the  sex  powers  are  the  expression  of  the  Divine 
Creative  Force  in  matter.  It  is  the  same  force  which  created 
the  world  and  all  that  is  therein.  Its  misuse  and  debasement 
is  the  cause  of  all  the  misery  and  disease  and  death.  It  is  the 
Serpent  of  Wisdom,1  the  Old  Serpent,  which,  when  crawling 
upon  the  ground  fulfills  the  curse,  "Upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou 
go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life :  and  I  will 
put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed 
and  her  seed."  But  this  Serpent  is  not  evil  in  itself,  only  when 
allowed  to  crawl  upon  the  ground.  Its  other  aspect  is  divine, 
and  when  lifted  up  upon  the  Tree  of  Life  it  will  literally  fulfill 
the  other  prophecy  of  the  Serpent,  "In  the  day  ye  eat  thereof, 
then  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  gods,  know- 
ing good  and  evil."  Through  the  power  of  the  Serpent  man 
has  eaten  of  this  Tree  of  Knowledge;  but  only  from  its  lower 
branches.  So  the  "Flaming  Sword  (the  Divine  Creative  Fire) 
which  turned  every  way"  has  barred  him  from  Eden.  What  he 
has  eaten  has  given  him  the  power  of  the  gods  to  know  the  evil, 
sinking  lower  than  the  beasts,  and  it  is  only  when  he  turns  and 
looks  at  the  same  Fiery  Serpent,  and  lifts  it  up  upon  the  cross 
in  the  wilderness  of  life,  that  he  shall  once  more  become  whole 
and  find  the  power  of  the  gods  to  know  the  good,  even  as  he 
has  had  to  know  the  evil. 

Remember  that  every  act  which  evokes  the  creative  power 
of  the  Serpent  in  the  flesh  creates  after  the  manner  of  the 
thoughts  held  at  the  time.  From  the  abuse  of  this  power  man- 
kind has  peopled  the  astral  with  sensual  monsters  which  are 
ever  waiting  to  incarnate  and  express  themselves  through  man, 
and  which  have  the  power  to  create  after  their  kind.  It  is  the 
thought  that  determines  what  you  create. 

May   10th,    1908. 

"My  opinion  emphatically  is  that  the  functions  of  bodily 
life,  nutritive  and  reproductive,  MUST  be  held  sacred  to  the 
purposes  for  which  they  are  intended." 

Your  idea  of  the  sacredness  of  the  sex  forces  is  quite  right. 
The  sex  force  is  the  greatest  force  that  is  sent  into  manif esta- 

1  See  lesson  THE  SYMBOL  OF  THE  SERPENT. 


86         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER, 

tion.  In  fact,  it  is  THE  force  of  manifestation.  It  is  the  Great 
Creative  Force  by  which  everything  that  is  is  created.  But  we 
go  still  farther  and  teach  that  this  force  CAN  create  and  DOES 
create,  when  directed  by  the  Will-power,  just  what  the  desires 
have  formulated.  If  this  were  understood  there  would  be  fewer 
temptations  to  pervert  this  force  during  youth.  It  should  be 
used  to  carry  out  mental  creations  instead  of  being  wasted,  to 
the  great  detriment  of  both  body  and  Soul. 

If  the  desire  is  to  create  a  physical  body  into  which  a  Soul 
may  come  into  manifestation,  then  all  the  power  of  the  Will 
should  be  used  to  produce  just  the  kind  of  body  wanted.  On 
the  other  hand,  should  the  desire  be  to  re-create  your  own  phys- 
ical, astral  or  mental  bodies  the  same  force  is  used,  for  it  cre- 
ates after  the  pattern  formed  by  the  desires.  And,  alas!  it  is 
this  same  force  which,  under  the  direction  of  lascivious 
thoughts  and  impure  and  vile  imagination,  has  been  expended 
in  creating  the  entities  that  prey  upon  man  in  the  form  of  sick- 
ness, deformity,  disease  and  death.  Then,  too,  when  this  force 
is  denied  a  normal  physical  embodiment  it  must  create  upon 
the  mental  and  astral  planes,  and  there  it  has  created  monsters 
of  unspeakable  horror  (corresponding  to,  or  rather  being  the 
embodiment  of  man's  lust)  which  must,  of  necessity,  attach 
themselves  to  their  creator  and  look  to  him  for  their  redemp- 
iton:  true  Frankenstein  monsters  that  cannot  be  mastered  ex- 
cept through  a  strong,  determined  effort  to  create  their  oppo- 
sites  and  to  withold  the  life-force  from  them. 

As  you  must  clearly  understand,  since  every  expenditure 
of  this  force,  for  whatever  purpose,  creates  something  some- 
where, can  you  wonder  at  the  misery  of  the  world?  Or  can  you 
fail  to  see  where  the  entering  wedge  must  be  placed  for  the  re- 
demption of  the  world?  In  reality  this  is  the  work  which  this 
Movement  was  established  to  perform,  namely,  to  go  down  into 
the  mire  of  the  sex  question  and  rescue  the  precious  pearls  that 
have  been  cast  before  the  swine,  i.  e.  to  teach  the  right  use  of 
the  sex  function  throughout  all  creation.  The  mineral,  the 
vegetable,  the  animal  each  have  the  power,  through  the  use  of 
the  creative  force  of  the  One  Life,  to  create  after  their  kind; 
but  man  has  an  added  power — and  the  consequent  added  re- 
sponsibility— to  create  not  merely  after  his  kind — to  which 
creation  the  lower  kingdoms  are  limited — but,  through  the 
power  of  his  Will,  to  create  anything  he  desires.  Thus  far  the 
will  has  been  to  create  for  himself,  and  for  the  Race,  only  evil 


THE  SEX  PROBLEM.  S7 

or  d-evils;  for  "By  man  came  death  into  the  world  and  by  man 
must  also  come  the  resurrection  from  the  dead. ' '  He  has  eaten 
of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  and  has  become  "as  the  gods"  to 
know  the  evil  and  now  he  must  become  "as  the  gods"  to  know 
the  good.  These  are  the  truths  concerning  the  sex  functions 
for  which  this  Order  stands. 

March  4th,  1908. 

"Why  is  it  that  we  find  such  a  dearth  of  children  in  the 
so-called  'well  bred  people*  or  good  class  families?  About  40% 
perhaps  are  without  children,  the  rest  with  one  or  two.  The 
ordinary  answer  is,  of  course,  that  it  is  due  to  the  use  of  pre- 
ventives, etc In  the  vegetable  world,  where  my  real 

question  lies,  some  types  and  forms  are  already  in  trouble — giv- 
ing but  few  seeds,  the  sweet  pea  for  instance.    The  largest  and 

best  in  every  way  gives  but  few  seeds Is  it  because 

ordinary   methods    of   crossing   are   like   human   intermarriage 
between  relatives?" 

The  reason  that  fewer  monads  are  incarnating  in  the  so- 
called  cultured  class  is  chiefly  because  the  culture  of  the  world 
is  in  no  way  an  advantage  to  the  perfection  of  vigor  of  the 
body,  nor  its  environments  such  as  to  materially  help  the  Soul 
onward  in  its  appointed  task.  The  Soul  chooses  its  own  en- 
vironments in  accordance  with  the  conditions  best  suited  to 
help  it  along  in  its  chosen  path.  Physical  obstacles  such  as 
poverty,  the  necessity  for  mingling  with  humanity  en  masse  and 
in  the  pushing  and  crowding  generally  found  in  the  so-called 
lower  ranks  of  society,  are  not  only  great  helps  to  the  attain- 
ment of  perfection  if  conquered,  but  if  the  incarnating  Soul  is 
at  all  advanced  and  has  a  realizing  sense  of  the  great  love  of 
Brotherhood,  its  most  overwhelming  desire  is  to  incarnate 
where  it  can  help  on  in  the  work  of  the  redemption  of  the  Race. 
This  can  be  done  more  effectively  by  one  who  has  mingled  with 
the  lower  strata  and  has  felt  its  deep  heart-throbs  of  misery, 
and  even  of  crime.  Such  an  one  grows  nearer  to  his  brother 
man,  and  by  his  very  struggle  to  get  above  the  conditions  is  cap- 
able of  a  deeper  realization,  through  his  own  suffering,  of  the 
suffering  of  humanity  and  gains  more  sympathy  with  its  needs. 

Those  born  into  affluence  have  no  such  chance.  The  temp- 
tations of  idleness  and  the  deadening  effects  of  selfishness  are 
harder  to  conquer,  hence  only  such  Souls  as  have  either  not  ad- 
vanced to  the  point  of  at-one-ment  with  humanity  and  desire 
only  personal  ease,  or  advanced  Souls  who  know  the  danger 
yet,  having  conquered  the  temptations  of  the  lower  levels  in 


88  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

former  lives,  deliberately  choose  such  an  incarnation  that  they 
may  have  the  means  to  help  humanity  on  a  larger  scale.  Neces- 
sarily these  are  few ;  one  here  and  there. 

As  to  the  same  thing  taking  place  in  plant  life,  the  cause 
is  more  apt  to  be  that,  this  being  an  experimental  age  in  that 
line,  man  has  not  yet  learned  how  to  increase  vigor  in  the  plant. 
That  is  to  say,  a  plant  has  only  a  certain  amount  of  life-force 
and  this,  man,  by  his  Will,  has  directed  we  will  say  into  the  line 
of  a  perfect  blossom ;  but  at  the  expense  of  the  power  of  propa- 
gation. The  lesson  to  learn  is  how  to  draw  more  life  into  the 
plant  and  balance  it  so  that  there  will  be  enough  for  both 
activities. 

March  3rd,  1908. 

"Can  you  explain  why  my  wife  and  I  seem  to  be  gradually 
growing  apart?  There  is  no  quarrel  between  us  at  all,  only 
distress  that  we  cannot  have  more  than  a  friendly,  chummy 
relation " 

As  to  the  general  proposition,  the  mere  fact  that  a  man 
and  woman  do  not  belong  together  is  all-sufficient.  The  Law 
back  of  this  is  the  fact  that  the  general  plan  of  all  humanity 
was  laid  down  at  the  beginning  of  this  manvantara  according 
to  strict  geometrical  lines.  Since  the  time  of  the  separation  of 
the  sexes  (at  the  end  of  the  Third  Root-Race)  these  lines  have 
been  mixed  up  more  and  more,  until  now  they  are  in  the  great- 
est confusion.  But  the  time  has  come  when  the  straightening 
out  process  has  begun  in  earnest.  The  real  meaning  of  redemp- 
tion is  that  The  Christ  (the  living  force  of  the  Divine  Creative 
Fire — the  Law  of  God)  must  redeem  from  this  intricate  con- 
fusion all  the  various  geometrical  lines  (Souls)  and  put  each  in 
its  proper  place  again  in  the  grand  plan.  Sin  is  inharmony,  the 
separation  of  the  positive  and  negative  parts  of  a  line,  or  a 
snarling  of  the  strands  like  that  seen  in  a  tangled  skein  of 
yarn.  Redemption  means  redeeming,  a  bringing  back  to  the 
original  condition ;  for  you  cannot  redeem  a  thing  that  you  have 
not  once  had  and  lost.  Therefore  the  very  first  step  toward 
growth  is  to  work  toward  the  straightening  out  of  the  tangled 
lines.  But  in  accomplishing  this  you  must  place  yourself  un- 
resentfully  in  the  hands  of  the  Lords  of  Karma,  which  means 
holding  the  attitude  of  "Thy  will  be  done."  When  this  is 
done  you  at  once  find  that  in  exact  accord  with  your  sincerity 
The  Law  will  begin  to  work  out.  At  first  it  will  precipitate 


THE  SEX  PROBLEM,  89 

upon  you  all  your  old  Karma.     That  must  be  accepted  and 
worked  out  cheerfully. 

March  3rd,  1908. 

"You  must  decide  for  me  if  I  am  ready  for  the  probationer's 
course,  and  if  my  husband  is  ready  also;  for  I  will  not  begin 
till  he,  too,  is  ready.  We  have  come  thus  far  together  and  I 
will  wait  many  years  if  need  be  until  he  is  ready." 

Your  attitude  of  desiring  to  go  hand  in  hand  with  your 
husband  is  the  right  one ;  for  no  other  way  is  possible.  When 
two  persons  are  really  joined  in  a  true  marriage  of  the  Soul,  as 
in  your  case,  it  is  impossible  for  one  to  advance  without  the 
other.  Sometimes  the  forward  impulse  seems  to  come  from  one 
and  sometimes  from  the  other,  but  in  reality  all  true  spiritual 
growth  is  flowing  to  them  jointly.  They  have  reached  a  point 
where,  from  the  soul  plane  or  plane  of  causes,  from  which  the 
Masters  see  them  and  on  which  they  come  into  contact  with  the 
Great  White  Lodge,  THEY  ARE  REALLY  ONE,  and  all  spirit- 
ual impulses  are  given  to  them  AS  ONE.  This  is  the  universal 
but  sadly  neglected  meaning  of  the  words  of  the  marriage  cere- 
mony ' '  Whom  God  hath  joined  let  no  man  put  asunder. ' '  Alas, 
it  is  but  a  very  few  couples  whom  God  hath  joined.  When  man 
only  hath  joined  them  it  is  only  the  bodies  that  are  joined,  not 
the  Souls.  In  such  cases  all  real  spiritual  advance  must  neces- 
sarily push  them  asunder,  because  their  Souls,  not  being  one, 
cannot  follow  the  same  upward  Path ;  each  must  ultimately  find 
its  own. 

"In  an  occult  pamphlet  I  note  the  statement  that  for  the 
birth  of  an  advanced  Soul,  an  Avatar  for  instance,  it  is  not 
essential  that  he  be  born  of  what  the  world  calls  a  sexually 
pure  woman.  Is  this  correct?"  Inquirer,  Spokane,  Wash. 

Most  emphatically  no.  The  conception  of  such  a  Divine 
Emanation  in  human  form  can  only  take  place  between  specially 
prepared  and  absolutely  pure  parents.  Moreover,  they  must 
be  perfectly  affinitized  or  harmonized  upon  all  planes,  physical, 
mental  and  spiritual.  They  must  be  set  apart  and  sanctified 
long  ere  such  a  conception  could  be  a  possibility.  They  must 
be  lawfully  wedded  in  the  sight  of  men,  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  land,  and  must  be  blameless  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man. 
This,  however,  does  not  mean  that  they  must  never  have  sinned 
in  the  past ;  but  it  does  mean  that  long  before  such  a  conception 
could  take  place  they  must  have  washed  their  garments 


90         LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

(bodies)  pure  and  white  in  the  blood1  of  the  Lamb,  i.  e.  the 
spiritual  life-force  poured  out  for  humanity  by  the  sacrificial 
Lamb  or  The  Christ  power — the  Word  made  flesh  and  sacrificed 
that  humanity  might  be  redeemed.  Through  this  force  such 
parents  must  have  gained  purity  of  body,  purity  of  mind  and 
purity  of  heart,  the  attainment  of  which  will  necessarily  ex- 
press itself  in  purity  of  life.  Any  exception  to  this  is  un- 
thinkable. 

(Published  in  THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  INTERPRETER.) 

"Wrote  you  a  day  or  so  ago,  a  large  portion  of  my  letter 
being  devoted  to  the  sex  question;  and  yesterday  had  a  discus- 
sion with trying  to  find  out  what  the  position  of  the 

Fifteen  is   on  that  subject It   is  rather  curious  that 

are  morbidly  inclined  to  regard  the  union  of  the  sexes 

as  improper  under  all  conditions — even  within  marriage — except 

for  the  sake  of  procreation They  then  brought  up  the 

charges  against as  published  in  the ,  and  his 

admission  of  the  facts  charged.     I  quite  agreed  with  them  in 

their  objection  to I  think  that  was  the  substance  of 

that  line  of  discussion." 

We  would  warn  you  that  it  is  not  well  to  allow  your  mind 
to  dwell  upon  the  sex  problem  or  to  talk  of  it  unnecessarily, 
not  because  it  is  evil  to  do  so,  but  because  it  is  one  of  the  most 
sacred  of  mysteries,  and  is  not  to  be  handled  with  unclean 
or  profane  hands.  Like  many  other  precious  things,  it  changes 
its  whole  aspect  when  ruthlessly  dragged  forth  for  inspection. 
Then  it  becomes  dead  and  putrified.  It  should  be  guarded 
most  sacredly.  Remember  that  which  everyone  condemns  gen- 
erally has  some  inherent  reason  in  it  for  such  condemnation, 
and  this  question  as  a  topic  for  conversation  is  no  exception. 
You  cannot  allow  your  mortal  mind  to  dwell  upon  it  for  any 
length  of  time  without  arousing  lust,  and  to  make  it  the  subject 
of  social  conversation  awakens  lustful  thoughts  in  others. 
Therefore  we  ask  you,  as  a  member  of  the  Order,  to  use  all 
your  influence  toward  avoiding  any  such  discussions  and  to 
communicate  this  request  to  others  of  the  Order  with  whom  you 
come  in  touch. 

It  is  neither  necessary  nor  advisable  to  analyze  this  force. 
Just  hold  to  the  idea  of  PURITY.  Think  how  to  be  pure  in 
mind  and  body,  and  leave  the  rest.  But,  once  for  all,  if  it  will 
help  you  to  turn  your  mind  away  from  this  subject,  we  will  say 

1  See  lesson  on  A  BRIEF  OUTLINE  OF  EVOLUTION. 


THE  SEX   PROBLEM.  91 

that  we  approve  of  sex  relations  ONLY  between  those  who  are 
united  in  true  spiritual  love,  and  in  the  LEGITIMATE,  LEGAL 

MARRIAGE  relation It  should  be  used  for  purposes 

of  creation,  but  the  creation  need  not  be  a  physical  body;  for 
they  can  consciously  create  an  immortal  body  for  themselves, 
or  can  create  any  other  great  work.  If  one  should  be  so  situ- 
ated that  he  finds  the  one  to  whom  he  feels  he  belongs  outside 
the  legitimate  marriage  relation,  let  him  understand  that  this 
is  the  result  of  Karma  and  shows  that  for  some  reason  they 
have  been  separated  to  learn  certain  lessons  independently. 
Any  attempt  to  break  through  or  over-leap  the  barriers  that 
separate  them  would  but  build  up  fresh  karmic  suffering.  Un- 
derstand this  point  clearly,  THEY  CANNOT  BELONG  TO 
EACH  OTHER  SEXUALLY  UNTIL  THE  BARRIERS  HAVE 
BEEN  REMOVED  so  that  they  can  be  UNITED  BY  THE 
LAWS  OF  THE  LAND  and  stand  before  the  world  in  perfect 
purity.  THERE  IS  NO  EXCEPTION.  Those  who  belong  to- 
gether will  always  be  together  on  the  higher  planes,  and  be- 
tween incarnations ;  but  if  separated  upon  the  earth  plane  they 
must  patiently  learn  their  lessons  and  work  out  the  Karma  that 
holds  them  apart.  If  they  do  not  do  so  it  entails  another  life 
under  similar  conditions.  They  will  be  sure  to  incarnate  to- 
gether when  each  is  ready  to  learn  the  lessons  which  they  can 
only  learn  together. 

If  your  spiritual  Will  is  not  strong  enough  to  create  the 
qualities  you  need  in  your  character,  then  create  upon  the  men- 
tal plane.  When  you  feel  the  force  moving  within  you  say,  "I 
must  create,  what  shall  it  be?"  Then  look  around  you  and  see 
what  new  thing  you  can  turn  your  attention  to.  If  you  can 
write,  start  some  little  article,  and  if  it  is  not  worth  publishing 
at  least  you  can  make  a  start  and  go  over  and  over  it  improving 
it  each  time.  Take  up  some  new  task  or  duty.  Do  some  kind, 
unselfish  act  that  will  require  some  time  and  thought  and  effort 
to  accomplish.  In  this  way  you  will  divert  the  current  of  the 
Divine  Creative  Force  into  a  normal  channel  of  expression. 
SO-CALLED  "PHYSICAL  RELIEF"  IS  NEVER  NECES- 
SARY, and  to  teach  that  it  is  permissible  is  but  to  cloak  animal 
desire  in  words  that  make  it  seem  respectable. 

Do  not  say  that  you  cannot  thus  divert  your  creative  force 
into  accomplishments  for  good,  for  it  has  been  successfully  done 
by  hundreds  of  pupils,  and  has  brought  peace  and  joy  and  hap- 
piness and  purity  of  mind  and  spiritual  advancement  to  all  who 


92  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

have  learned  it.  The  teachings  of  this  Order  are  not  for  some  su- 
perhuman life,  but  for  the  average,  decent,  clean-minded  person 
on  the  physical  plane.  They  are  not  vague  theories,  but  prac- 
tical instructions  for  daily  life.  They  are  not  impossible  specu- 
lations as  to  what  we  can  do  in  some  future  manvantara,  but 
plain  statements  of  what  hundreds  have  proved  and  are  show- 
ing forth  in  their  lives  RIGHT  HERE  AND  NOW.  Further 
more,  we  teach  that  under  no  circumstances  can  an  evil  or  im- 
pure thing  upon  the  earth  plane  ever  become  anything  but  evil 
and  impure  on  the  higher  planes;  for  all  planes  are  one,  and 
what  is  impure  on  one  is  impure  on  all.  UNDER  NO  CIRCUM- 
STANCES CAN  EVIL  OR  IMPURE  ACTS  ON  THE  PHYS- 
ICAL PLANE  CAUSE  SPIRITUAL  GROWTH;  for  the  acts 
themselves  are  creating  exactly  the  opposite  conditions.  Those 
who  are  teaching  such  abominable  doctrines  under  the  name  of 
Esoteric  Theosophy,  or  under  the  guise  of  obtaining  some  sort 
of  spiritual  development,  will  have  a  terrible  Karma  to  answer 
for  in  the  future.  We  cannot  emphasize  too  strongly  the  fact 
that  there  can  be  no  spiritual  teachings,  either  esoteric  or  exo- 
teric, that  are  not  spotless  in  their  purity  ON  ALL  PLANES; 
for  The  Christ  can  dwell  only  with  the  pure  in  heart. 

We  not  only  denounce  such  vile  doctrines,  but  we  are  try- 
ing to  lead  humanity  back  into  paths  of  natural  purity.  Hence, 
as  our  lesson  on  CELIBACY  plainly  states,  we  believe  that  all 
teachings  that  prohibit  true  and  legal  marriage  under  any  pre- 
text, and  which  foster  unnatural  suppression  of  the  life  forces 
ere  humanity,  even  in  a  small  decree,  has  learned  the  lessons  of 
pure  love  and  the  possibility  of  real  spiritual  marriage,  any 
such  teachings,  we  repeat,  are  a  menace  to  society  and  but  cause 
abnormal  expression  of  the  forces  thus  repressed.  As  we  say 
in  PURITY:  "When  confined  to  the  physical  plane  man  is  apt 
to  lose  control  of  it"  etc.,  and  all  forms  of  abnormality  and  all 
efforts  to  separate  this  force  from  the  spiritual  plane  is  confin- 
ing it  to  the  animal.  And  if  we  give  it  over  to  the  animal  and 
then  deny  that  animal  a  normal  way  of  expressing  it,  just  so 
sure  will  some  vile  and  abnormal  way  of  gratification  be  im- 
agined. This  alone  should  be  proof  to  a  thinking  mind  that  such 
teachings  are  abnormal.  Our  students  must  learn  that  this 
force  does  not  belong  to  the  animal  plane  alone.  And  they  must 
grasp  the  higher  and  deeper  truth  that  marriage  does  not  be- 
long merely  to  the  animal  plane,  but  has  its  correspondence  on 


THE  SEX   PROBLEM.  93 

all  planes.  Hence  the  great  and  crying  need  of  love  and  purity 
in  the  marriage  relation. 

While  we  know  that  the  sinner  is  in  reality  but  an  outward 
expression  of  the  combined  thought  of  the  whole  community, 
and  that  not  one  is  without  sin  or  capable  of  casting  the  first 
stone,  still  it  is  our  duty  to  set  our  faces,  in  no  uncertain  man- 
ner, against  all  such  crimes  against  the  Holy  Temple  of  the 
Living  Christ  as  those  to  which  you  refer.  This  is  the  attitude 
of  THE  ORDER  OP  THE  15.  We  have  come  into  manifesta- 
tion as  a  protest  against  the  befouling  of  all  mankind  and  of 
everything  sacred  with  the  slime  of  the  serpent ;  and  above  all 
in  the  name  of  Theosophy!  and  for  "spiritual  advancement "! 
We  must  and  shall  use  all  our  influence  unceasingly  against 
such  teachings  and  proclaim  PURITY.  But  we  also  go  deeper 
and  show  some  of  the  causes  that  have  produced  this  abomina- 
tion that  is  paraded  boldly  before  the  children  of  men,  being 

defended  even  by  the  chosen  ones  of  the Society  in 

their  official  publications ! 

The  teaching  that  all  sex  relations  are  inherently  impure 
and  evil,  and  that  they  should  be  killed  out  and  marriage  dis- 
couraged and  discountenanced,  IS  A  WRONG  AND  PERNI- 
CIOUS DOCTRINE.  And  as  long  as  such  teachings  find  cre- 
dence, human  nature,  like  a  flowing  river  which  is  dammed  up, 
will  find  an  outlet  in  some  abnormal  manner.  And  if  the  bar- 
riers of  false  teachings  are  not  speedily  removed  and  the  true 
and  normal  channel  purified  and  cleared  from  obstructions,  it 
will  inundate  the  entire  Race. 

"I  note  that  you  emphasize  'legal  marriage*  as  the  sole 
condition  of  intimate  relationship  between  lovers.  This  seems 
to  me  an  arbitrary  dictum.  Social  and  economic  conditions  are 
such  that  many  legally  married  couples  who  do  not  love  each 
other  in  purity,  who  in  fact  repel  each  other,  cannot  separate 
without  pain  and  distress  to  those  dependent  upon  them  and 
to  whom  they  owe  conformity  to  public  standards.  Should  one 
in  this  legal  situation  refuse  to  express  love  through  that  divine 
and  ineffable  relation,  even  though  that  love  is  pure?  In  other 
words:  Does  the  legal  contract  entered  into  during  years  of 
ignorance  bar  one  from  what  would  otherwise  be  a  sacred, 
beautiful,  vital  love?" 

Legal  marriage  by  no  means  insures  purity ;  but  even  if  it 
fails  in  this  respect  that  failure  does  not  mean  that  marriage 
was  not  intended  to  fulfill  the  Law  of  Opposites  in  perfect 
purity.  Impurity  arises  because  the  contracting  parties  have 


94          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

broken  The  Law,  and  the  Master  Jesus  said:  "Till  heaven  and 
earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law,  until  all  be  fulfilled. "  While  there  is  but  one  Great  Law 
governing  the  universe,  yet  it  has  seven  manifestations,  and  the 
words  "jot  and  tittle,"  altho  now  obsolete,  were  used  to  indi- 
cate these  seven  manifestations. 

The  Great  Law  first  manifests  as  (a)  Order.  This  means 
that  everything  is  tending  toward  perfection  in  its  proper  place. 
The  only  reason  why  one  particular  jot  or  tittle  is  not  fulfilled 
is  that  there  are  six  other  related  jots  or  tittles  which  must 
also  be  fulfilled. 

The  second  manifestation  is  as  (b)  Compensation.  In  every 
event  there  is  a  compensation.  You  can  learn  it  by  comparison, 
"As  above,  so  below." 

The  Great  Law  works  as  (c)  Cause  and  Effect  or  Karma. 
"Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

The  Law  also  expresses  as  (d)  Vibration,  (e)  as  Balance,  in 
(f)  Cycles  and  (g)  as  Polarity.  It  thus  begins  with  Orderly 
Sequence  and  ends  or  is  completed  by  Polarity.  Karma  is  by 
no  means  all  The  Law ;  it  is  but  one  of  its  phases. 

The  above,  when  applied  to  the  marriage  relation,  means 
that  only  true  marriage — that  which  is  made  in  Heaven — can 
fulfill  The  Law  in  all  its  manifestations.  If  the  union  does  not 
fulfill  the  laws  of  man  it  is  not  fulfilling  The  Law  as  Order.  If 
it  is  not  a  marriage  of  love  and  purity  then  it  is  not  fulfilling 
The  Law  as  Vibration  and  as  Polarity  (opposites).  It  may, 
however,  be  fulfilling  other  manifestations  of  The  Law.  An  un- 
happy marriage  may  be  fulfilling  The  Law  as  Karma.  That  is, 
it  may  be  the  result  of  causes  set  up  and  not  worked  out  in  a 
past  life.  This  result  must  be  worked  out  through  fulfillment 
ere  The  Law  can  work  in  its  fulness  in  the  other  manifestations 
and  bring  you  to  your  true  polar  center  to  be  one  with  your 
true  complement,  who  alone  can  fulfill  The  Law  with  you. 

Such  an  unhappy  marriage,  be  it  ever  so  irksome,  must  be 
in  accord  with  some  manifestation  of  The  Law,  and  hence  is  not 
to  be  set  aside  or  terminated  except  through  fulfillment.  Were 
it  not  in  accord  with  The  Law  there  would  be  nothing  to  hold 
you  to  it  and  it  would  pass  out  of  your  life  and  release  you 
with  scarcely  a  ripple.  If  no  other  manifestation  can  be  found 
The  Law  works  as  Compensation,  i.  e.  the  situation  will  bring 
you  something  to  be  gained  either  as  experience,  as  duty  to  per- 
form or  as  the  joy  of  parenthood  etc.  Indeed,  many  marriages 


THE   SEX   PROBLEM.  95 

are  brought  about  and  consummated  by  The  Law  working  as 
Compensation  alone. 

From  the  above  you  will  see  that  marriage,  even  if  only  an 
earthly  bond,  is,  nevertheless,  a  part  of  The  Law  and  is  not  to 
be  set  aside  until  "all  be  fulfilled.'*  If  another  love  obtrudes 
itself  upon  you,  which  it  is  pretty  sure  to  do  if  you  are  not 
married  to  your  true  polar  opposite,  the  marriage  becomes  your 
GREAT  TEST.  Your  new  love  may  be  pure,  in  fact  IF  IT  IS 
LOVE  IT  WILL  BE  PURE,  but  you  have  no  right  to  it  until 
you  have  fulfilled  the  manifestation  of  The  Law  under  which 
you  find  yourself.  And  it  cannot  be  consummated  upon  the 
physical  plane  without  breaking  The  Law  and  defiling  its 
purity.  To  seize  it  before  you  have  fulfilled  the  old  bond  ne- 
cessitates another  long  experience  of  separateness  until  the  old 
bond  is  fulfilled  and  the  two  can  become  one  on  earth  in  perfect 
purity,  even  as  they  are  one  in  heaven. 

If  you  believed  in  only  one  life-period  your  attitude  would, 
perhaps,  be  reasonable;  but  you  know  that  each  earth  life  is 
but  one  day  at  school,  and  that  you  can  never  graduate  until 
you  have  completed  and  mastered  the  course  of  training  laid 
down.  Understanding  this,  however,  you  grow  patient;  for, 
like  the  boy  at  school,  if  you  play  truant  and  run  away  to  go 
fishing  with  the  girl  of  your  heart,  you  know  that  the  few 
stolen  hours  of  joy  in  her  company  have  robbed  you  of  the 
opportunity  of  enjoying  her  society  in  much  greater  complete- 
ness after  school  is  over. 

Know,  absolutely,  that  The  Law  IS  and  that  it  MUST 
work  out.  If  one  jot  or  tittle  of  The  Law  could  go  wrong  in 
your  personal  affairs,  all  creation  would  be  thrown  out  of  har- 
mony. Hence,  sooner  or  later,  you  must  fulfill  The  Law  in  love. 
And  to  repudiate  any  present  duty  or  obligation  to  apparently 
hasten  that  fulfillment  is  but  to  stay  the  longer  after  school 
and  put  the  time  of  fulfillment  farther  away.  You  cannot  fulfill 
The  Law  unless  you  are  pure,  and  you  cannot  be  pure  while 
you  violate  any  manifestation  of  The  Law. 

If  you  are  only  held  by  the  law  of  man  you  must  fulfill 
that  law  in  purity  and  learn  its  lessons  until  the  end.  If  you 
have  made  the  vow  to  "love  her,  comfort  her,  honor,  and  keep 
her  in  sickness  and  in  health;  and,  forsaking  all  others,  keep 
thee  only  unto  her,  so  long  as  ye  both  shall  live, ' '  rest  assured 
that  The  Law  will  require  that  vow  of  you  unto  the  last  jot  and 


96  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

tittle.    But  that  vow  once  fulfilled,  you  will  not  be  bound  in  a 
future  day  at  school. 

However,  if  all  parties  to  the  vow  agree  to  dissolve  it,  and 
if  there  are  no  circumstances  or  duties  that  prevent  its  disso- 
lution, the  vow  no  longer  holds,  or  rather  it  has  been  fulfilled. 
But  as  long  as  one  of  the  parties  to  the  vow,  either  the  man, 
the  woman  or  the  law  of  man,  holds  to  it  the  vow  is  binding 
until  fulfilled.  Understand  this  point  clearly,  only  by  the  con- 
sent of  All  the  parties,  the  man,  the  woman  and  the  law  of 
the  land,  can  the  vow  be  fulfilled  and  the  bond  dissolved.  But 
in  the  event  of  either  party  wilfully  breaking  the  vow,  and  if 
because  of  this  the  injured  party  is  willing  to  waive  his  or  her 
claims  to  the  fulfillment  of  the  vow,  then  he  or  she  is  free  in 
the  eyes  of  the  law  of  God ;  for  a  vow  that  is  broken  is  annulled, 
and  the  law  of  the  land  will  grant  the  injured  one  legal  freedom. 

July  llth,  1908. 

"I  must  tell  you  frankly  that  I  cannot  agree  with  some  of 
your  teachings The  celibacy,  for  instance,  of  the  Brah- 
mins in  the  east  and  those  desiring  spiritual  development,  after 
fulfilling  all  the  requirements  of  the  marriage  states,  by  mutual 
consent,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  as  Jesus  said  'making  themselves 
eunuchs  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven's  sake.  He  that  is  able  to 

receive  it,  let  him  receive  it.' Jesus,  John,  Paul,  the 

Adepts,  the  Masters  and  Mystics  of  all  ages  have  neither  mar- 
ried nor  advocated  it." 

You  make  very  sweeping  statements  as  to  Jesus,  John, 
Paul,  the  Adepts,  etc.,  for  which  you  have  no  authentic  data. 
In  fact,  if  you  were  able  to  read  between  the  lines  and  within 
the  letter  of  all  authentic  teachings  handed  down  from  the 
Great  Teachers,  you  would  soon  change  your  mind.  In  seek- 
ing for  these  truths  is  it  necessary  to  take  the  teachings  of 
the  Great  Ones  direct  as  they  fall  from  Their  lips,  or  as  little 
adulterated  by  human  explanations  as  it  is  possible  to  obtain 
them.  The  ones  you  mention  may  or  may  not  have  married 
on  the  physical  plane,  History  cannot  always  be  relied  upon 
in  such  cases,  as  it  is  generally  made  to  conform  to  the  ideas 
of  the  followers  several  hundred  years  afterward  as  to  what 
the  Teacher  should  have  done. 

As  society  is  now  constituted  and  with  so  many  crass  fail- 
ures and  quarrels  and  vile  slanders  among  so-called  leaders, 
all  of  which  are  so  many  stumbling-blocks  in  the  way  of  God's 
children,  it  is  most  necessary  that  all  things  are  done  so  that 
even  the  children  of  this  world  may  have  no  excuse  for  mis- 


THE   SEX   PROBLEM.  97 

understanding,  and  so  that  no  moral  law  be  violated,  but  that 
"Ye  shall  render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  be  Caesar's  and 
unto  God  the  things  that  be  God's."  The  time  has  come,  and 
this  is  primarily  the  Movement,  for  uplifting  the  masses  and 
preparing  the  whole  race  to  take  a  higher  step  in  evolution. 
The  Lodge  of  Masters,  who  always  work  with  the  cosmic  cur- 
rents, understand  this.  This  is  not  a  period  of  individual  ad- 
vance or  of  the  helping  of  all  by  picking  out  the  few  and  lead- 
ing them  on  to  perfection.  That  was  a  necessary  way  to  work 
in  other  periods  of  the  world's  history  and  that  was  the  way 
chosen,  the  reason  being  that  when  the  period  now  at  hand 
should  come  there  would  be  those  who  would  be  ready  to  take 
up  the  work  for  the  masses.  Now  all  work  is  along  entirely 
different  lines.  The  disciples  chosen  to  prepare  for  the  coming 
Avatar  must  be  able  and  willing  to  give  up  self,  even  self- 
advancement,  and  live  among  men  exemplifying  in  all  things 
purity,  honesty  and  all  the  virtues  approved  of  by  the  world, 
that  the  world  may  see  and  understand.  They  must  be  care- 
ful to  make  no  wide  separation,  no  gulf,  over  which  the  flocks 
(the  sheep)  cannot  easily  leap ;  for  the  whole  flock  must  be  led 
into  green  pastures  and  beside  still  waters. 

If  you  teach  the  masses  that  to  gain  Heaven  they  must 
give  up  normal  living  and  become  celibates,  the  result  must 
inevitably  be,  as  it  has  always  proved  in  the  past,  absolutely 
abortive  in  so  far  as  the  masses  are  concerned.  Cast  your  eye 
backward  over  history  and  honestly  ask  yourself  if  celibacy 
has  proved  an  effective  way  of  saving  or  helping  the  world? 
Has  it  not  rather  made  a  wide  gulf  or  separation?  the  monks 
and  celibates  on  the  one  hand,  swollen  with  spiritual  pride,  "I 
am  holier  than  thou"  written  all  over  them,  or  at  the  best,  hid- 
den in  caves,  forgotten  of  mankind,  their  very  lives  unlived 
through  austerity,  making  very  little  impression  upon  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  lived.  On  the  other  hand  the  masses, 
God's  little  ones,  the  sheep  of  His  fold,  hopelessly  wallowing 
in  the  mire  of  sensuality,  a  prey  to  the  wolves  of  desire  and 
passion,  relegating,  in  a  sort  of  hopeless  despair,  all  personal 
salvation  and  religious  observances  to  those  who,  in  the  eyes  of 
the  masses,  are  set  apart  to  attend  to  it. 

Under  all  the  seeming  perversity  and  evil  of  humanity 
there  runs  a  strong  current  of  common-sense  and  justice.  A 
close  student  of  sociology  must  admit  that  underlying  all  the 
rules  of  conventionality  and  so-called  worldly  wisdom,  in  fact 


98          LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

the  root  from  which  these  have  sprung,  there  exists  some  vital 
truth  that  cannot  safely  be  ignored.  The  world  knows  that 
the  instincts  implanted  in  the  human  heart  are  of  God  and  are 
necessary  for  the  development  and  advancement  of  the  race; 
that  the  married  state  is  holy  and  that  it  embraces  and  brings 
forth  and  makes  possible  all  that  is  most  uplifting  and  sacred 
in  human  life.  Therefore,  when  taught  that  the  normal  func- 
tioning of  these  natural  instincts  are  of  the  Devil,  their  sense 
of  justice  is  outraged  and  they  choose  the  Devil  for  a  master. 
Since  they  are  taught  that  there  is  no  hope  of  reaching  per- 
fection in  a  natural  way,  they  turn  their  backs  upon  an  unjust 
God,  leaving  that  conception  of  God  to  those  who,  either  from 
spiritual  pride  or  because  all  normal  instincts  are  burned  out 
owing  to  abuse  in  past  lives,  or  who  have  never  cultivated  to 
heart  center,  are  self-elected  to  stand  as  the  advocates  of  those 
whom  THEY  consider  lost  sheep. 

This  whole  plan  must  now  be  changed.  The  first  ones  to 
walk  the  new  path  must  expect  stones,  mud  and  gibes  from 
those  of  the  old  regimen.  Many  will  say  of  them,  as  was  said 
of  the  Master  Jesus,  that  they  consort  with  sinners  and  eat 
bread  (symbolic  of  spiritual  food)  with  them.  In  fact,  this 
taunt  alone,  if  rightly  taken  and  understood  in  its  real  mean- 
ing, would  be  a  positive  refutation  of  the  assertion  you  make 
about  Jesus.  But  there  are  many  more  refutations.  We  will 
take  the  chapter  from  which  you  quote,  remembering  always 
that  the  Bible,  instead  of  being  a  history  of  necessarily  physical 
events,  is  a  gathering  together  of  parables  and  teachings. 
Taking  this  view  one  of  the  greatest  objections  to  it  is  re- 
moved, namely  that  the  events  following  consecutively  have 
no  bearing  on  each  other ;  for  it  has  been  proved  that  they  oc- 
curred at  widely  separated  times  and  places.  They  follow  each 
other  consecutively  because  that  order  is  necessary  to  bear  out 
the  lesson  being  taught.  In  other  words,  a  series  of  narratives 
is  related  which  may  or  may  not  have  happened;  but  it  does 
not  matter,  as  they  are  merely  tales  to  illustrate  the  point  at 
issue.  They  are  placed  together  because  they  emphasize  dif- 
fering phases  of  the  one  lesson.  Let  us  take  the  chapter  from 
which  you  quote. 

First  it  is  recorded  that:  "The  Pharisees  came  unto  him, 
tempting  him,  and  saying  unto  him,  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to 
put  away  his  wife  for  every  cause?  And  he  answered  and  said 
unto  them,  Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  which  made  them  at  the 


THE  SEX  PROBLEM.  99 

beginning  made  them  male  and  female, Wherefore 

they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh.  What  therefore  God 
hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder/'  The  Phari- 
sees then  went  on  to  ask  about  divorce.  Jesus  answered: 
"  Moses  because  of  the  hardness  of  your  hearts  suffered  you  to 
put  away  your  wives :  but  from  the  beginning  it  was  not  so. ' ' 
This  plainly  means  that  it  is  possible,  because  of  dense  physical 
vibrations  of  passion  alone,  to  be  joined  by  man  with  no  spir- 
itual marriage  by  God.  In  such  a  case  it  is  not  only  lawful, 
but  necessary  for  the  advancement  of  each  for  them  to  sep- 
arate. Then  His  disciples,  who  evidently  were  imbued  with 
the  same  teachings  that  are  now  puzzling  you,  said,  "If  the 
case  of  the  man  be  so  with  his  wife,  it  is  not  good  to  marry. ' ' 
But  the  significant  answer  of  Jesus  plainly  shows  that  He  was 
not,  as  generally  interpreted,  apologizing  for  saying  so  posi- 
tively that  God  did  join  twain  into  one  flesh,  for  this  would 
put  Him  in  a  most  vacillating  position.  His  answer  was  to 
show  why  there  were  instances  when  the  exception  proved  the 
rule.  This  is  so  plain  that  it  is  remarkable  that  people  of 
common-sense  can  so  twist  it  as  to  make  it  apparently  mean 
exactly  the  opposite,  following  as  it  does  the  reasons  for  sep- 
aration and  being  a  direct  answer  to  the  statement,  "It  is  not 
good  to  marry/'  "All  men  cannot  receive  this  saying,  save 
they  to  whom  it  is  given."  "This  saying"  was  manifestly 
"Wherefore  they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh.  What 
therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  no  man  put  asunder." 
Then  He  goes  on  to  say  what  you  quote  above  about  eunuchs. 
This,  if  read  as  a  continuation  of  the  same  remark,  shows  plain- 
ly that  Jesus  did  not  mean  to  commend  or  approve  of  eunuchs 
— for  in  another  place  the  making  of  eunuchs  is  expressly  for- 
bidden— but  meant  to  show  why  man  could  not  understand 
"this  saying."  It  was  in  substance  the  same  teaching  that  I 
am  now  giving  you. 

Immediately  a  new  parable  is  introduced,  namely,  ' '  Suffer 
little  children,  and  forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me. ' '  This  is 
a  strong  confirmation  that  those  who  will  enter  the  Kingdom  are 
not  those  who  have  made  eunuchs  of  themselves  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven's  sake  (a  eunuch  being  a  mutilation  of  the  di- 
vine form,  an  abnormal  and  imperfect  man),  but  those  who 
have  become  as  little  children.  This  is  then  followed  by  the 
story  of  the  rich  young  man,  rich  in  psychic  gifts,  an  earnest 
follower  of  YOGI  practices  etc.  "All  these  things  have  I  kept 


100  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

from  my  youth  up,"  i.  e.  the  commandments,  the  austerities 
and  practices  and  observances  of  the  law.  But  Jesus  told  him, 
"Sell  that  thou  hast  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven :  and  come  and  follow  me, ' '  i.  e.  The  Christ. 
After  this  follows  the  so  much  misunderstood  saying,  "It  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for 
a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  This  means 
that  there  is  a  wider  separation  between  a  mere  animal's  de- 
veloping its  psychic  faculties — for  only  by  functioning  in  the 
fourth  dimension  could  a  camel  pass  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle — than  for  a  man  rich  in  psychic  development,  who  at 
the  same  time  set  himself  apart  from  others  and  was  puffed  up 
with  spiritual  pride  and  in  danger  of  resting  on  his  own  supe- 
rior knowledge,  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  last  par- 
agraph of  that  chapter  positively  confirms  the  idea  that  all 
these  parables  were  dealing  with  one  and  the  same  lesson. 
"But  many  that  are  first  shall  be  last;  and  the  last  shall 
be  first." 

Another  passage  so  frequently  quoted  in  this  connection 
is,  "But  they  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain  that 
world,  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  neither  marry,  nor 

are  given  in  marriage ;  neither  can  they  die  any  more 

being  the  children  of  the  resurrection. ' '  The  explanation  is  that 
spiritual  marriage  once  made  can  never  be  unmade — the  one 
flesh  can  never  again  become  twain.  Naturally  those  who  at- 
tain the  resurrection  will  neither  marry  nor  be  given  in  mar- 
riage because  they  are  married  for  all  eternity;  they  have 
learned  their  earthly  lesson.  We  might  as  well  say  that  it  is 
wrong  to  die  because  perfected  Souls  will  die  no  more.  '  'Whoso 
hath  ears  to  hear  and  heart  to  comprehend,  let  him  hear. ' ' 

May  23rd,  1908. 

''What  is  your  advice  to  one  who  is  troubled  with  impure 
thoughts  and  dreams  on  the  sex  question?" 

Recognize  that  the  sex  force  is  the  Great  Creative  Force; 
that  it  is  given  to  man  as  his  crowning  glory.  It  is  also  man's 
greatest  test,  the  test  being  not  that  he  must  kill  it  out,  as  so 
many  teach,  but  that  he  use  it  aright.  As  soon  as  you  recog- 
nize this  grand  truth  you  at  once  ask,  What  am  I  expected  to 
create?  You  know  that  it  can  only  occasionally  be  used  to  cre- 
ate a  tabernacle  in  which  an  immortal  Soul  can  dwell,  and 
this  of  course  only  in  the  legitimate  marriage  relation.  And 
even  on  these  occasions  it  must  be  taken  up  seriously,  earn- 


SEX  PROBLEM.  101 

estly,  in  perfect  purity  and  with  spiritual  aspirations,  and  then 
only  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  But,  you  ask, 
what  about  its  use  at  all  other  times?  Bear  in  mind  that  pro- 
creation is  not  the  only  use  of  this  power ;  for  when  guided  by 
the  Will  it  creates  whatever  man  desires.  In  the  lower  animals 
it  is  but  a  function  for  perpetuating  the  species,  hence  its  call 
ceases  to  be  persistent  when  the  proper  season  is  past,  unless, 
through  association  with  mankind,  the  animal  has  become  ab- 
normal in  this  respect;  but  with  man  there  are  no  seasons,  there 
are  no  seasons  or  times  when  it  is  more  persistent  than  at 
others.  This  shows  that  man  is  expected  to  use  his  faculty  of 
creative  thought  to  harness  this  great  river  of  creative  force 
and  make  it  create  for  him  according  to  his  Will. 

Our  advice  then  is  to  give  this  matter  no  more  attention 
than  any  other  normal  function  receives.  That  is,  see  that  it 
is  put  to  its  proper  use ;  see  that  it  does  not  become  your  mas- 
ter and  take  up  an  undue  amount  of  your  thought,  but  that  it 
is  kept  an  obedient  servant  ready  to  do  your  will  when  called 
upon.  If  you  feel  its  call  persistently,  or  if  you  find  yourself 
growing  irritable  with  no  apparent  reason,  say  to  yourself,  "I 
am  a  creator,  what  shall  I  create?"  Then  turn  your  mind  at 
once  to  something  you  desire  to  accomplish,  knowing  that  this 
force  is  the  power  that  will  create  for  you  the  objects  of  your 
desires.  It  will  create  within  you  such  desirable  qualities  as 
you  find  you  lack.  If  you  have  a  fault  you  wish  to  correct, 
create  its  opposite.  Think  no  more  about  the  fault,  but  put  all 
your  thought  on  its  opposite.  For  instance,  if  you  are  given  to 
evil  imaginings  on  this  subject,  when  you  feel  the  creative 
power  coming  upon  you  at  once  begin  to  create  lofty  ideals 
and  thoughts  of  purity.  Understand  that  nothing  can  come  to 
you  that  you  yourself  do  not  admit  within  your  aura.  The  im- 
pure thought-forms  are  your  own  creations,  created  by  the  im- 
pure use  of  the  creative  force.  Strive,  then,  with  all  your  might 
to  send  out  thought-forms  of  purity  in  such  numbers  and  with 
such  power  that  they  will  transmute  and  redeem  the  im- 
pure ones. 

Remember  that  thoughts  are  things  and  must  express 
through  their  creator.  Man  is  under  absolute  bondage  to 
thought.  Thought-forms  surround  him  and  draw  their  life  from 
him.  If  evil,  they  tempt  him  to  pour  out  fresh  force  in  evil 
channels  that  they  may  gain  more  life ;  for  thoughts  similar  to 
themselves  supply  them  with  energy,  while  thoughts  of  purity 


102  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

withhold  life  from  them.  The  VOICE  OF  THE  SILENCE  says, 
"If  thou  wouldst  not  be  slain  by  them,  then  must  thou  harm- 
less make  thy  own  creations,  the  children  of  thy  thoughts,  un- 
seen, impalpable,  that  swarm  round  humankind,  the  progeny 
and  heirs  to  man  and  his  terrestrial  spoils."  Create  thoughts 
of  purity,  chastity,  control,  etc.  and  divert  the  physical  force 
by  at  once  beginning  some  definite  line  of  work;  if  not  in  build- 
ing up  your  character,  then  in  some  kind  of  mental  work,  real- 
izing that  you  are  consciously  using  your  creative  force.  Sit 
down  and  write  an  article  embodying  just  what  you  desire  to 
create  within  yourself  or  your  idea  of  what  perfect  purity 
means.  If  this  is  not  convenient,  begin  some  task  with  your 
hands,  something  that  will  involve  manual  labor  and  require 
thought  and  energy  for  its  execution.  Do  some  kind  un- 
selfish act  for  another  that  will  necessitate  thought  and  care- 
ful planning  not  to  wound;  something  that  would  remain  un- 
done but  for  your  efforts.  Take  a  tramp  out  in  the  open  to 
some  objective  point,  observing  the  harmony  and  beauty  of 
nature,  and  realize  how  everything  in  nature  has  its  normal 
place  and  its  normal  and  natural  use  until  perverted  by  man. 
Realize  that  you  are  asserting  your  prerogative  as  a  creator 
and  that  the  sex  force  is  the  motive  power  which  you  are 
using.  If  you  do  any  of  these  things  you  will  not  have  to  puz- 
zle yourself  about  how  the  force  is  transmuted  into  mental 
energy  or  with  finding  out  the  particular  path  by  which  it 
reaches  the  brain,  and  yet  you  will  divert  its  expression  from 
the  physical  organs  to  the  mental  plane  in  a  perfectly  normal 
way.  If  you  furnish  the  thought-forms  and  the  Will  to  create 
purity,  the  forces  will  follow  out  your  directions  without  your 
having  to  go  into  particulars.  Above  all,  you  will  divert  your 
attention  from  the  physical  expression  of  this  force. 

If  you  should  have  a  failure  in  following  this  plan,  waste 
no  thought  upon  it,  but  pick  yourself  up  and  with  more  deter- 
mination than  ever  strive  to  create  around  you  thought-forms 
of  purity,  and  of  helpfulness  to  others ;  for  these  must  express 
through  you  and  will  strengthen  you  for  the  future. 

Each  night  before  retiring  repeat  the  HEALING 
PRAYER  and  say  repeatedly,  until  you  have  impressed  it  upon 
your  subconscious  mind,  "I  refuse  to  create!  I  refuse  to  create 
this  night!"  Then  when  impure  dreams  come  to  you  you  will 
be  able  to  conquer  even  before  you  awake  and  realize  what  has 
happened.  Put  your  failures  behind  you.  Give  them  no  more 


THE  SEX  P&OBLEM.  103 

force  by  thinking  of  them  or  worrying  about  them.  Live  each 
day  and  each  night  for  itself;  for  if  you  can  conquer  one  day 
at  a  time  you  conquer  all. 

Hundreds  of  students  have  followed  this  plan  and  have 
found  it  practical.  You  can  do  the  same.  But  do  not  expect 
to  master  the  question  in  a  day.  This  force  is  like  any  other, 
it  sweeps  you  off  your  feet  only  when  you  place  yourself  under 
it.  Harness  it  by  your  Will-power  and  you  are  its  master  and 
it  a  most  wonderful  servant. 


PART    IX. 
SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT. 

"Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
spirit  which  is  of  God;  that  we  might  know  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  to  us  of  God.  Which  things  we  also  speak,  not  in 
the  words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  teacheth;  comparing  spiritual  things  with  spiritual.  But 
the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God: 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him:  neither  can  he  know  them, 
because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  I  Corinthians,  II,  12-14. 

"Men  who  are  devoid  of  the  power  of  spiritual  perception 
are  unable  to  recognize  the  existence  of  anything  that  cannot 
be  seen  externally."  Paracelsus. 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  10$ 

July   6th,    1908. 

"For  a  period  of  several  weeks  I  was  able  to  know  how  to 
help  my  fellows  in  many  ways,  not  of  my  own  power  but  by  a 
wonderful  love  of  the  Creator.  Much  of  this  capacity  has  now 
left  me,  owing  I  believe  to  my  spiritual  pride,  but  this  world 
is  now  a  different  place.  This  exaltation  of  spirit  was  looked 
upon  by  those  nearest  and  dearest  as  a  sign  of  brain  trouble, 

but  if  it  is  I  am  happier  with  it  than  without Now  I 

want  help  to  develop  the  powers  I  possess,  as  I  hope  it  may 
be  given  to  me  to  help  others.  If  your  teachings  are  such  as 
will  show  me  how  to  grow  without  appearing  abnormal  in  my 

actions I  will  thankfully  and  patiently  learn 

But  duties  to  those  nearest  and  dearest  hold  me  back." 

The  experience  of  which  you  speak  was  a  momentary  open- 
ing of  the  Third  Eye — the  pineal  gland.  This  sometimes  hap- 
pens before  the  disciple  has  learned  to  function  consciously  on 
the  soul  plane  and  is  a  foretaste  of  what  you  can  look  forward 
to  in  the  future.  As  you  say,  spiritual  pride  would  quickly 
cause  you  to  fall  backward  on  The  Path.  If  you  are  conscious 
of  the  temptation  and  are  making  earnest  efforts  to  conquer 
and  are  sincerely  working  from  the  standpoint  of  love  for  your 
fellow  men,  the  mere  fact  of  the  discontinuance  of  the  soul- 
faculty  of  reaching  up  into  the  higher  realms  and  drawing 
direct  from  the  Fount  of  all  Wisdom  should  not  discourage 
you.  The  Third  Eye  sometimes  opens  in  moments  of  great 
spiritual  exaltation  or  in  deep  meditation,  and  then  closes 
again;  but  if  you  retained  the  faculty  of  knowing  for  some 
weeks,  it  is  surely  the  result  of  conscious  effort  and  is  an  index 
of  soul  development,  either  in  this  or  past  lives. 

Since  all  phenomena,  either  familiar  or  the  so-called  super- 
natural, is  subject  to  the  law  of  "the  pairs  of  opposites,M  it  fol- 
lows the  rhythmic  Law  of  Activity  and  Passivity,  out-breath- 
ing and  in-breathing,  day  and  night.  After  a  period  of  mani- 
festation there  would  naturally  follow  a  period  of  indrawing, 
a  night  period.  Instead  of  this  being  a  loss  it  is  just  as  neces- 
sary as  is  the  night.  It  is  a  period  in  which  to  rest  and  recuperate 
your  faculties.  It  is  only  in  these  periods  of  indrawing  and 
rest  that,  if  we  understand  the  Law  and  make  a  mental  effort 
through  study  and  meditation,  we  can  digest  what  has  been 
given  to  us,  so  that  when  the  day-period  again  dawns  we  will 
be  ready  to  use  the  power  wisely,  understandingly  and  under 
full  control  of  the  Will.  Do  not  waste  time  lamenting  the  fact 
that  the  night  has  come,  but  use  the  time  to  renew  your  strength 
so  that  when  the  morning  dawns  you  will  be  able  to  go  forth  in 


106  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

the  power  and  might  of  the  Living  Christ  to  uplift  the  fallen, 
comfort  the  feeble  and  the  weak  and  work  for  the  good  of  all. 

A  word  of  caution,  Brother,  when  the  exaltation  cometh. 
Try  to  hold  it  subject  to  the  Will.  Be  not  unduly  elated;  for 
' '  He  that  ruleth  himself  is  greater  than  he  who  taketh  a  city. ' ' 
It  takes  a  stronger  man  to  rule  himself  when  under  the  power- 
ful exaltation  of  Divine  Wisdom  than  it  does  to  rule  the  lower 
appetites.  Just  as  far  as  the  pendulum  swings  to  one  side  must 
it  swing  back  again.  If  we  exhaust  ourselves  in  one  day,  the 
night  must  be  long  and  spent  in  sleep ;  but  if  we  conquer  Self 
and  remain  calm  and  dispassionate,  the  days  and  nights  will 
be  equal,  or  even  with  only  a  short  period  of  rest  between,  so 
that  one  may  work  steadily  on  without  being  depressed  dur- 
ing each  night-period. 

To  develop  your  powers  study  Nature.  Grow  as  the  flower 
grows.  You  love  the  sun  (The  Christ)  because  through  it  you 
must  unfold  whatever  is  good  within  you  and  give  it  out  for 
the  good  of  mankind.  Pay  no  more  attention  to  the  manner 
of  your  unfolding  than  does  the  rose.  Open  your  heart  to  The 
Christ  and  grow.  Jesus  said,  "If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of 
mustard  seed,  ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  Remove  hence 
to  yonder  place;  and  it  shall  remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  im- 
possible unto  you. ' '  That  is  the  kind  of  faith  you  must  have — 
faith  that  within  you  is  the  germ  of  The  Christ  power,  and  that 
through  it  you  can  fulfill  all  the  law  of  your  being.  The  tiny 
grain  of  mustard  seed  never  doubts  but  that  it  has  the  power 
to  grow  into  a  tree  in  which  the  birds  of  the  air  shall  lodge, 
apparently  impossible  though  this  may  seem  while  a  seed.  It 
obeys  the  law  of  its  being  and  just  grows  on  in  perfect  faith 
that  it  has  the  power  to  fulfill  its  destiny.  If  you  bask  in  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  to  keep  from  growing  normally  would 
be  impossible.  Learn  to  love,  and  forget.  Become  so  inter- 
ested in  works  of  mercy  and  helpfulness  that  you  will  know 
that  you  are  growing  only  by  the  perfume  of  good  that  sur- 
rounds you,  and  by  your  increased  ability  to  help  others. 

Leave  no  duty,  no  matter  how  humble,  undone.  The  near- 
est and  dearest  would  not  be  the  nearest  and  dearest  if  your 
first  duty  were  not  to  them.  The  mustard  tree  and  the  rose 
take  to  themselves  and  assimilate  only  the  pollen  of  their  kind, 
and  must  do  so  ere  they  can  bring  forth  and  grow  to  perfec- 
tion. But  this  does  not  deter  them  from  spreading  their 
branches  to  the  sun  and  making  a  nesting  place  for  the  birds 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  107 

and  giving  out  nectar  (which  when  transmuted  into  honey  by 
the  bees,  becomes  food  for  man) ;  shelter  for  cattle  and  grate- 
ful shade  and  comfort  for  all  created  things.  All  this  by  just 
growing  naturally  in  their  place.  Take  the  little  duties  as  they 
come,  for  not  one  step  can  be  missed.  The  man  who  is  always 
looking  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  stumbles  over  the  jagged 
rocks  at  its  base ;  but  the  man  who  is  so  busy  helping  others  to 
climb  that  he  has  no  time  to  stand  gazing  at  the  heights  is  the 
one  who  gets  to  the  top  almost  before  he  knows  it 

There  will  be  no  abnormality  in  your  growth  if  you  follow 
this  advice.  Any  concentration  upon  the  vital  centers,  or  even 
upon  the  development  of  certain  powers,  is  injurious  and  is  apt 
to  lead  to  spiritual  pride  and  black  magic.  If  you  seek  to  grow 
in  Nature's  way — for  there  is  but  one  Law  of  Growth — what- 
ever is  within  you  will  develop  normally.  Whatever  you  have 
earned  as  your  own  and  have  assimilated  is  yours  by  karmic 
right,  hence  growth  means  bringing  this  out,  i.  e.  what  you 
have  really  assimilated.  The  mustard  seed  grows  into  a  mus- 
tard tree,  with  all  its  healing  and  medicinal  qualities ;  the  rose 
develops  into  the  queen  of  all  flowers,  giving  out  its  refresh- 
ing perfume — the  symbol  of  love — to  all.  The  spiritual  lesson 
is  that  both  grow  and  unfold  by  merely  DOING  THE  DUTY 
THAT  LIES  NEAREST,  that  which  is  next  at  hand.  They 
assimilate  the  earth-forces,  the  water,  the  air  and  the  sun — go 
thou  and  do  likewise. 

Concentrate  each  day  upon  The  Christ  within.  Hold  fast 
to  this  main  idea,  tha,t  through  the  power  of  The  Christ  you  can 
meet  and  conquer  all  that  comes  to  you.  Above  all,  learn  to 
keep  silent.  "Dare,  Do,  Keep  Silent "  is  the  motto  of  this  Or- 
der. The  Master  Jesus  never  talked  of  what  He  could  do,  but 
when  the  time  came  He  simply  did.  Much  force  is  wasted  in 
words.  The  disciple  needs  to  learn  to  concentrate  his  power  in 
acts.  If  he  talks  he  dissipates  the  power  so  that  the  act  is 
feeble.  Never  say  that  you  can  do  so  and  so,  just  GO  AHEAD 
AND  DO  IT. 

March  13th,  1908. 

"I  see  myself  in  hell  struggling  for  escape.    It  seems  hope- 
less sometimes." 

Your  condition  and  the  struggle  you  are  making,  is  under 
our  watchful  care.  But,  dear  Brother,  try  to  realize  that  when 
bound  on  the  Wheel  of  Karma,  to  struggle  but  makes  the  cords 
cut  deeper  into  your  quivering  flesh.  Stop  struggling.  Lo !  I 


108  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

say  unto  you :  Peace,  be  still.  All  is  well.  Learn  the  lesson  of 
saying,  "Thy  will  be  done,"  knowing  that  the  will  of  the  Fa- 
ther is  victory,  and  that  it  will  and  must  come.  To  think  so 
much  about  your  shortcomings  and  limitations  is  but  to  give 
them  life  and  force ;  for  thoughts  are  things  and  create  after 
their  kind.  'Determine  to  think  strength,  love  and  confidence 
until  you  draw  them  to  you  and  build  them  into  your  life.  If 
the  evil  does  not  at  once  fly  away  then  persistently  refuse  to 
give  it  life.  Do  not  recognize  it.  Repeat  the  little  MORNING 
PRAYER  each  day  and  make  it  a  living  factor  in  your  life. 
Rest  in  the  positive  belief  that  the  love  and  help  that  you  reach 
out  for  is  yours  for  the  taking.  "Ask  and  ye  shall  receive." 

July  6th,  1908. 

"I  have  said  much  more  than  I  intended  to  write,  but  if 
you  know  my  motive  and  my  desire  you  will  understand  why 
the  words  kept  coming." 

As  to  saying  more  than  is  wise  in  your  letters  to  us,  fear 
not  to  talk  plainly  to  your  Teacher ;  for  only  thus  can  you  come 
into  close  touch.  Words  are  sacred  thinsrs  though  few  there 
be  who  realize  it.  Words  should  be  to  thought  what  steam  is 
to  the  engine;  if  directed  to  the  cylinder  and  flywheel  the  en- 
gine does  perfect  work,  but  if  the  steam  escapes  through  many 
tiny  holes  and  cracks  the  power  available  for  real  work  is  di- 
minished: and  wasted  steam,  like  idle  words,  is  an  indication  of 
dissipated  power.  Man  alone  has  the  power  to  formulate 
thought  into  words.  A  parrot  can  imitate  the  sounds  of  words, 
but  onlv  man  has  reached  the  point  of  development  where  be 
is  capable  of  rightly  using  this  gift.  It  is  a  great  responsibil- 
ity. Every  word  we  utter  has  not  only  its  vibrations,  but, 
together  with  the  form,  color  and  number  of  the  letters  com- 
posing it,  possesses  a  potency  that  will  never  die.  but  go  on  and 
on  through  the  ages  until  we,  their  creator,  bv  the  power  of  The 
Christ  within,  shall  have  redeemed  them.  Be  their  power  for 
good  or  ill  it  forms  one  of  the  very  considerable  forces  that  go 
to  make  up  the  Law  of  Karma.  It  is  one  of  those  crops  the 
sowing  of  which  we  are  told  we  shall  surely  reap.  Learn  to 
value  words  as  an  index  of  thought.  Make  them  your  obedi- 
ent servants.  Do  not  waste  them.  Make  every  one  count  for 
something;  for  "For  every  idle  word  must  thou  give  an  ac- 
count. "  Do  not  consider  them  idle,  however,  even  if  apparently 
trifling  and  foolish,  provided  they  bring  cheer  and  comfort 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  109 

into  the  life  of  some  other.    They  are  only  idle  when  wasted  in 
mere  talking  instead  of  doing. 

Try  to  be  as  natural  as  possible  in  your  dealing  with  your 
fellows.  Never  seem  to  claim  for  yourself  any  distinction 
above  others,  but  hold  fast  within  to  the  thought  that  the  power 
of  The  Christ  that  worketh  through  you  will  never  disappoint 
you  or  fail  you. 

May  23rd,  1908. 

"I  have  not  the  constant  capacity  to  see  the  Father  in  each 
experience  in  daily  life.  I  am  growing,  however,  and  am  deter- 
mined to  persevere,  to  make  a  living  sacrifice  of  the  self  and 

learn  how  to  transmute  its  forces I  say  sometimes  I 

think  like  this,  then  am  drawn  back  again  into  sense  life  and 
sink  like  a  sodden  leaf." 

You  have  caught  the  idea  and  have  clothed  it  and  have  cre- 
ated out  of  it  an  ideal.  This  is  half  the  battle.  You  know  that 
when  a  man  tries  to  invent  a  thing  or  put  into  shape  something 
which  for  a  long  time  has  lain  dormant  in  his  mind,  an  import- 
ant step  has  been  taken  when  he  finds  that  he  is  able  to  think 
it  all  out  in  a  practical  way,  and  perhaps  even  make  a  sketch. 
After  that  the  making  of  the  model  is  not  half  so  difficult. 
Therefore,  make  your  ideal  coherent  and  hold  it  fast.  Build 
upon  it,  step  by  step,  the  Immortal  Being  which  you  know  ex- 
ists within  yourself. 

As  to  what  you  say  about  your  lack  of  mental  ability  being 
an  obstacle,  we  reply  that,  naturally,  while  the  lower  mind  can 
never  evolve  into  the  spiritual  mind,  yet  the  lower  mind  has 
an  important  work  to  do  in  moulding  and  shaping  the  brain 
particles  for  the  use  of  the  Higher  Self.  In  gaining  the  ability 
to  grasp  the  highest  vibrations  the  lower  mind  becomes  a  well 
trained  servant  to  the  Higher  Self.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to 
learn  how  to  control  and  train  the  mind  and  cultivate  the  in- 
tellect ;  but  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  intellect  is  but 
the  servant  or  tool  for  the  mind  to  use.  Moreover,  intellectu- 
ality is  not  tested,  as  is  generally  supposed,  by  the  amount  of 
education  one  has  had;  for,  while  education  does  its  work  in 
training  the  lower  mind,  yet  the  mind  once  trained,  and  the 
brain  built  up  into  a  fitting  instrument  for  the  use  of  the  Higher 
Mind,  it  must  then  pass  through  an  incarnation  in  which  edu- 
cation— so-called  book-learning — will  be  denied  it,  and  condi- 
tions in  life  will  make  it  impossible.  The  man  or  woman  will 
be  born  into  conditions  where  they  will  be  forced  by  circum- 


110  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

stances  to  forego  what  seems  to  be  their  rightful  heritage.  You 
often  see  this  and  remark,  "So-and-so  is  so  capable,  yet  he  has 
never  had  more  than  a  common-school  education. ' '  Such  an  one 
would  naturally  look  upon  this  as  a  great  loss ;  but  the  fact  is 
that,  having  had  all  opportunities  for  education  in  past  lives, 
he  has  reached  a  point  where  the  physical  brain  is  to  be  moulded 
into  an  instrument  to  use  along  other  lines,  and  therefore  the 
old  lines  of  thought  are  withheld.  They  are  no  longer  needed 
by  the  Soul  and  it  would  be  senseless  to  go  on  training  the 
lower  mind  along  them.  If  it  is  persisted  in  the  man  will  become 
an  intellectual  machine,  lacking  in  heart.  Therefore,  if  the 
brain  development  has  not  gone  hand  in  hand  with  the  desire 
for  spiritual  advance,  the  incarnating  Ego  will  select  a  vehicle 
and  an  environment  in  which  everything,  perhaps  poverty, 
squalid  surroundings,  even  sin,  will  tend  to  force  the  overcom- 
ing of  obstacles,  and  in  which  the  heart  must  be  cultivated  and 
the  brain  comparatively  neglected.  Such  an  incarnation  suc- 
cessfully passed  and  conquered,  the  brain  will  be  capable  of 
being  used  by  the  Higher  Self  to  a  greater  degree  in  accord 
with  the  capacity  it  has  developed. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  Higher  Self  must  have  a  perfect  in- 
strument if  it  is  perfectly  to  record  the  Spiritual  or  Divine 
Mind  upon  the  physical  plane ;  for  the  Higher  Self  can  only 
express  itself  through  the  instrument  it  possesses.  Through  an 
imperfect  instrument  the  Higher  Self  can  only  register  imper- 
fectly, but  this  does  not  mean  that  a  brain  capable  of  less  than 
perfect  use  is  any  great  drawback ;  for  many  cultivate  the  love 
centers  first.  This,  on  the  whole,  is  best ;  but  before  final  liber- 
ation both  must  be  coordinated. 

Do  not  use  the  simile  "like  a  sodden  leaf,"  for  no  living 
Soul  can  ever  become  sodden,  i.  e.  saturated  with  water  (illu- 
sion) .  Such  a  condition  could  only  come  about  in  the  most  de- 
praved, and  only  after  the  Higher  Self  had  been  forced  to 
leave  the  personality  to  death  and  disintegration— after  it  no 
longer  contained  a  living  Soul.  Only  after  eons  of  purification 
could  its  particles  again  be  given  expression 

The  use  of  metaphors  should  be  carefully  chosen ;  for  their 
meaning  may  be  more  far  reaching  than  appears  on  the  sur- 
face. You  are  never  dead  or  sodden  while  containing  one 
thought  of  love  (life).  You  are  but  conscious  of  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  the  spiritual  force,  and  your  feeling  of  depression  is  a 
perfectly  natural  result.  It  is  but  a  consciousness  of  the  out- 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  Ill 

breathing  and  the  in-breathing  of  the  Great  Breath.  At  the 
out-breathing  all  is  activity,  while  the  in-drawing  is  a  period  of 
rest  comparable  to  the  night-time.  Instead  of  allowing  your- 
self to  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  stream,  if  you  will  hold  the 
thought  that  it  is  but  the  night-time,  and  that  you  are  calmly 
sleeping  to  recruit  your  strength  and  assimilate  the  spiritual 
force  so  that  when  the  new  day  dawns  you  will  be  ready  for 
new  tasks,  you  will  be  strong  and  happy.  In  your  study  of  the 
conditions  of  life  and  the  trials  that  beset  you,  remember  that 
the  Soul  must  pass  through,  or  be  made  to  face,  the  depths  of 
human  degradation  and  emerge  from  them  pure  and  unspotted. 
That  is,  after  having  gained  a  certain  point  in  development  the 
Soul  must  contact  such  conditions  and  prove  itself  capable  of 
living  in  them  without  being  of  them,  thus  gaining  mastery 
over  them. 

May  25th,  1908. 

"I  have  an  85-year-old  father,  and  bad  men  have  got  their 
hands  on  his  property  and  mine,  and  I  struggle  to  get  into 
such  condition  that  he  will  have  a  home  and  plenty.  I  pray,  hope 
and  battle  and  toil  almost  night  and  day;  for  father  is  one  of 
earth's  angels  who  has  labored  all  his  life  in  doing  good.  My 
work  to  keep  the  home  nice,  to  care  for  him  and  to  attend  to 
business  leaves  me  not  a  moment  I  can  call  my  own." 

No  matter  what  the  burden  laid  upon  you,  it  is  not  laid 
there  merely  that  you  may  suffer,  nor  does  any  God  wish  you 
to  bear  it.  It  is  yours  because  somehow,  somewhere,  sometime 
you  missed  a  lesson  in  life  that  only  this  heavy  burden  could 
teach  you.  Therefore,  conditions  worked  together  and  you 
were  brought  face  to  face  with  your  lesson.  Try  to  realize  this. 
Then,  if  you  can  admit  that  what  you  are  forced  to  bear  is 
merely  meant  as  a  lesson  to  point  out  some  shortcoming  or 
absolute  fault,  know  well  that  the  moment  you  LEARN  THE 
LESSON  or  correct  the  fault  the  experience  will  no  longer  be 
needed  and  it  will  pass  away.  Perhaps  you  lack  faith  or  pa- 
tience or  love,  or  you  are  given  to  the  love  of  money;  for  we 
do  not  have  to  be  rich  to  love  money,  there  are  many  more  poor 
than  rich  who  love  it.  No  one  but  yourself  can  put  a  finger  on 
the  sore  spot ;  but  when  once  you  have  found  it  go  to  work  dili- 
gently, with  all  your  heart,  to  correct  the  fault. 

Rest  sure  in  the  love  of  your  Father-in-heaven  who  has 
said  that  "Not  one  of  these  little  ones  shall  perish,"  No  mat- 
ter how  little  you  are  in  your  own  mind,  after  you  have  scraped 
off  the  barnacles  that  are  sinking  you  beneath  the  waters,  no 


112  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

matter  how  heavy  your  burden,  your  Heavenly  Father  (who  is 
your  own  Higher  Self)  will  not  let  you  perish.  He  will  take 
away  the  lesson  as  soon  as  it  is  learned  and  will  give  you  an- 
other which  may  require  better  physical  conditions. 

May    17th,    1908. 

"I  am  sure  that  I  am  growing,  yet  have  experienced  much 
darkness.     I  try  to  believe,  I  do  believe,  that  the  darkness  is 

just  as  natural  as  the  light  to  the  growing  plant This 

self,  the  Watcher  of  the  Threshold,  I  find  a  terrible  monster, 
and  seemingly,  all  but  impossible  to  overcome.  Yet  while  the 
fight  goes  on  am  slowly  learning  to  say  and  live  the  words, 
'Thy  will  be  done'." 

You  should  not  think  of  the  darkness  even  as  a  night,  or 
as  a  trial,  but  as  a  necessary  condition  for  growth.  The  seed 
will  never  take  root  unless  it  is  buried  in  the  darkness  of  the 
earth.  If  you  could  penetrate  the  consciousness  of  a  growing 
plant  you  would  find  that,  while  it  spends  a  time  blindly  search- 
ing for  light,  sending  out  strong,  firm  roots  hunting  here  and 
there  in  the  dark  earth,  there  will  come  a  time  later  on  when  it 
will  have  gathered  the  consciousness  necessary  to  send  up  its 
sprout  into  the  light.  It  will  then  recognize  that  the  period  of 
darkness  was  the  most  important  step;  for  without  good,  firm 
roots  it  would  be  withered  by  the  sunshine;  yet  the  sunshine 
was  what  it  was  seeking  all  the  time.  While  the  seed  was  still 
down  in  the  darkness  of  the  earth  it  was  the  same  sun  that  was 
giving  it  life  and  power  and  drawing  its  sprout  upward  to  the 
light  while  it  was  still  mercifully  shielded  by  the  earth  from 
the  too  strong  beams  of  the  light  itself. 

You  are  often  told  to  live  close  to  Nature,  yet  very  few 
understand  the  significance  of  that  injunction.  It  does  not 
necessarily  mean  living  in  a  tent  or  sleeping  on  the  ground; 
but  it  does  mean  correlating  your  consciousness  with  Nature, 
trying  through  meditation  to  enter  into  the  phases  of  natural 
growth  and  development,  recognizing  the  similarity  and  the 
oneness  of  all  growth.  In  Nature  you  will  find  an  explanation  of 
every  experience  through  which  you  pass.  The  man  who  has 
learned  the  great  lesson  of  resting  on  the  bosom  of  the  Great 
Mother,  Nature,  and  breathing  in  unison  with  her,  pulsating 
with  her  heart-beats,  is  the  one  who  lives  close  to  Nature,  no 
matter  whether  he  is  in  the  midst  of  the  whirling  business  life 
of  a  great  city  or  dwells,  as  Cowper  puts  it,  in  "A  lodge  in 
some  vast  wilderness,  far  from  the  evil  haunts  of  men. ' ' 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  113 

Learn  the  lesson  of  living  close  to  Nature  and  you  will 
find  that  the  Dweller,  whom  you  have  confused  with  the  Watch- 
er or  Guardian — the  Guardian  being  something  entirely  differ- 
ent— will  be  no  more  to  you  than  are  the  cold  winter  blasts  and 
other  material  enemies  of  growth  that  are  conquered  not  by 
fighting  them,  but  by  a  persistent  drawing  to  yourself  of  the 
Life  Eternal  out  of  the  very  elements  of  discord.  Nothing  in 
the  nature  of  man  is  inherently  evil;  it  is  only  evil  through  its 
misuse,  and  the  evils  that  are  attached  to  it.  Determine  to  de- 
liver it  from  evil,  and  to  find  The  Christ  force  within  EVERY 
temptation  and  everything  that  assails  you,  knowing  full  well 
that  these  things  are  the  portion  of  goods  that  have  been  given 
you  by  your  Father  at  your  request — your  just  belongings  that 
you  have  deserved  and  out  of  which  you  must  create  your  im- 
mortal habitation.  Not  one  thing  must  be  lost  or  wasted  or 
destroyed ;  but  each  must  be  transmuted  and  its  golden  potency 
indrawn  and  built  into  the  immortal  Temple  of  the  Living 
Christ.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  sentence  in  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  " deliver  us  from  evil.'1 

May  30th,   1908. 

"Am  surprised  to  find  myself  in  the  4th  Degree.  Was  it 
due  to  my  number  of  evolution,  and  if  so  how  was  it  deter- 
mined? So  many  writers  assert  'I  am  God.  I  am  That  I  am.' 
I  cannot  grasp  their  meaning." 

You  are  in  the  4th  Degree  because  you  have  reached  that 
point  in  evolution.  That  is,  you  have  reached  the  point  where 
you  have  the  conscious  desire  to  seek  for  Wisdom  and  are  feel- 
ing around  for  some  guiding  hand  to  point  out  The  Path.  In 
this  you  have  fulfilled  the  first  requirement  of  the  Law,  "Seek 
and  ye  shall  find;  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you." 
Therefore  do  not  be  surprised  that  the  cry  of  your  heart  has 
found  listening  ears,  or  that  the  hand  you  sought  is  touch- 
ing yours. 

The  "I"  is  the  Higher  Self,  the  overshadowing  Father-in- 
heaven.  It  is  the  True  Self  in  that  it  is  the  Ego — a  Spark  of 
the  Infinite — incarnating  again  and  again  in  an  animal  body 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  experience  in  matter  and,  through 
its  informing  physical  atoms  in  an  earthly  body,  to  help  redeem 
(spiritualize)  matter.  The  whole  body  and  its  organs  is  but 
an  ephemeral,  transitory  conglomeration  of  atoms,  created  and 
gathered  together  by  the  Beal  Self  to  use  as  a  vehicle  very 
much  as  a  man  might  make  or  create  a  garment  to  wear  for  a 


114  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

certain  purpose  and  for  a  certain  time.  The  body  wears  out 
and  is  cast  aside  just  as  the  garment  is,  and  a  new  one  put  on ; 
but  the  Self  never  changes.  It  gains  more  experience  and 
needs  a  better  garment  from  time  to  time  until,  finally,  it 
masters  the  matter  which  makes  up  its  physical  garments  and 
immortalizes  it  so  that  the  personality  is  swallowed  up  in 
the  Individuality;  the  mortal  puts  on  immortality  and  be- 
comes one  with  its  Father-in-heaven.  The  animal  body,  how- 
ever, has  a  consciousness  of  its  own  which  is  always  striv- 
ing to  rule  the  organism  instead  of  the  Higher  Self.  Until 
the  Higher  Self  has  gained  full  control  it  is  often  trampled 
under  foot  and  The  Christ  force  crucified.  When  passion 
and  desire,  with  the  bit  in  their  teeth,  dash  the  personality 
recklessly  down  the  hill  of  sensual  pleasures,  disease  and 
death  naturally  result;  but  the  moment  the  Real  Self  as- 
serts its  prerogatives  and  grasps  the  reins  the  personality 
will  become  the  useful  servant,  and  passion  and  desire,  not 
killed  out  but  controlled,  will  trot  quietly  along  in  the  har- 
ness of  service,  obedient  to  the  Master's  will. 

The  Ego  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  Soul,  while  the  Spirit 
is  the  overshadowing  Divinity.  As  we  have  said  before,  the 
Soul  is  a  Spark  from  the  Infinite,  while  the  Spirit  is  the  Flame. 
The  Spirit  is  the  Breath  of  the  Absolute ;  it  has  no  individual- 
ity. Just  as  you  might  light  a  thousand  candles  with  the  same 
flame  without  detracting  from  it,  yet  each  new  flame  would  be 
individualized,  so  with  Souls.  Souls  are  all  Sparks  of  the 
One  Flame. 

May    12th,    1908. 

"I  am  a  member  of  the Society  and  it  is  no  doubt 

very  presumptious  in  me  to  feel  dissatisfied  so  soon.  I  have 
been  a  member  only  about  a  year  and  a  half  but  I  feel  restless 
yet  I  am  devoted  to  the  teachings." 

All  teachings  that  bring  to  humanity  a  knowledge  of  the 
higher  truths  and  that  awaken  an  interest  in  spiritual  develop- 
ment are  useful ;  but  individual  Souls  need  special  lines  of  in- 
struction. Some  find  help  under  one  teacher,  some  under  an- 
other, and  if  your  Higher  Self  knows  that  the  one  from  whom 
you  are  striving  to  learn  is  not  the  most  helpful  one  for  you, 
you  will  be  impressed  with  a  feeling  of  dissatisfaction.  Yet 
this  does  not  mean  that  the  teachings  you  have  been  receiving 
are  not  excellent  for  a  certain  stage  of  growth  and  just  what 
you  needed  at  one  time.  The  great  lesson  to  learn  is  to  follow 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  115 

the  leadings  of  your  Higher  Self  and  take  for  yourself  what 
appeals  to  you  and  helps  you.  But  be  just  as  ready  to  concede 
to  others  the  right  to  choose  for  themselves.  Try  to  realize 
that  they  too  have  the  guidance  of  their  Higher  Self,  and  if 
they  are  receiving  help  from  any  source  that  is  the  step  needed 
by  them  at  that  time. 

If  at  any  time  you  feel  dissatisfied  with  the  teachings  re- 
ceived from  this  source  you  must  apply  the  same  rule.  That 
which  you  need  will  appeal  to  you.  One  thing  may  appeal  to 
you  today  and  in  a  month  or  a  year  you  may  grow  away  from 
it.  If  you  are  sincere  and  earnest,  this  merely  indicates  that 
you  have  learned  one  lesson  and  must  look  elsewhere  for  the 
next.  For  this  reason  no  lasting  vows  should  ever  be  given  or 
required.  The  only  vow  that  a  Neophyte  can  give  is  one  to 
his  Higher  Self  to  follow  unfalteringly  wherever  the  Star  of 
Initiation  leads.  No  earthly  teacher  can  ever  take  him  more 
than  a  step  along  The  Path;  but  his  own  Higher  Self  will  guide 
him  all  the  way  if  he  only  listens  to  the  Still  Small  Voice. 

May   7th,    1908. 
"You  spoke  of  certain  stages  where  the  neophyte  could  not 

be  helped  by  teachers,  etc.    Will  you  please  explain? 

The  thought  of  a  student  class  is  undoubtedly  most  laudable 
but  I  must  meet  its  leaders  and  know  more  of  their  personnel 
and  that  of  the  members  before  feeling  assured  that  affiliation 
is  the  right  step  for  me.  I  want  to  study  with  those  who  pos- 
sess a  clear  insight  and  through  whom  my  growth  may  be  accel- 
erated, not  impeded." 

A  student  is  never  left  to  stumble  along  alone;  for  the 
unseen  Helpers  are  always  near  to  guide  and  direct.  But 
there  are  times  when  certain  characters  need  to  be  left  alone, 
not  to  themselves,  but  to  their  unseen  Teachers.  They  need  to 
seek  and  find  in  The  Silence  the  Truth.  Only  when  they  have 
done  this  are  they  ready  to  accept  it  when  presented  outwardly. 
If  they  are  over-fed  with  outer  help,  so-called;  told  to  do  this 
or  that,  it  only  upsets  them  and  retards  their  progress.  Gen- 
erally the  rough  and  thorny  way  of  struggle  and  sorrow  is  due 
to  a  lack  of  realization  that  within  each  earnest  heart  there  is 
The  Christ  center,  and  that  "I  (the  Christ  within)  am  the  Way, 
the  Truth  and  the  Life :  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by 
me, "  i.  e.  through  the  revealed  Christ-power  within. 

Having  found  within  your  own  heart  a  well-spring  of  love 
and  faith  and  life,  it  is  not  of  much  moment  who  or  what  your 
co-laborers  in  the  class  are ;  for  YOU  come  to  bring  the  Light 


116  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

that  YOU  have  found  within  to  share  with  them.  Once  found 
nothing  can  dim  that  Light,  and  it  does  not  matter  if  the  per- 
sonalities of  the  members  do  not  meet  your  expectations — per- 
haps you  do  not  meet  theirs — for  YOU  know  that  you  are  not 
dealing  with  the  outer  personalities,  but  that  YOU  can  see 
beyond  into  the  heart  of  each.  If  you  go  with  this  attitude  the 
divine  Light  of  The  Christos  will  spread  from  heart  to  heart, 
and  all  will  be  benefited  by  your  presence.  Remember  that  you 
do  not  go  merely  to  acquire  knowledge  for  yourself  alone  and 

give  nothing  in  return If  you  cannot  put  your  thoughts 

into  words  and  enter  into  the  discussion  of  the  lesson,  you  can 
nevertheless  fill  the  room  with  loving  and  helpful  thoughts  and 
give  encouragement  and  help  to  the  faithful  ones  who  are 
trying  to  help  you,  even  though,  like  yourself,  they  feel  that 
they  have  much  to  learn. 

"During  the  past  two  years  have  been  passing  through  a 
condition  of  darkness,  sorrow  and  pain,  as  though  much  of  the 
past  were  being  forced  upon  me.  Why  is  this?" 

Your  condition  of  spiritual  darkness  is  the  result  of  a 
natural  law  pertaining  to  spiritual  development.  When  the 
neophyte  starts  out  in  earnest  to  become  a  disciple  the  first 
thing  that  happens  is  that,  by  the  very  effort  to  separate  from 
the  world,  he  becomes  more  sensitive  and  the  world's  conditions 
press  more  heavily  upon  him.  Also,  the  Karma  that  might 
under  the  old  conditions,  be  spread  out  over  many  years,  or 
even  lives,  is  willingly  taken  up  by  the  Soul;  for  it  has  deter- 
mined to  overcome.  Whether  the  personality  is  aware  of  it 
or  not,  the  Soul  or  Higher  Self  has  consciously  taken  upon 
itself  the  redeeming  of  all  the  old  mistakes  NOW,  AT  ONCE. 
Nearly  always  the  first  effect  of  any  decided  step  along  The 
Path  is  depressing.  A  recognition  of  the  world's  misery  weighs 
upon  the  sensitive  consciousness  and  a  great  loneliness  and 
helplessness  surrounds  the  disciple,  because  he  has  separated 
from  the  old  and  has  not  yet  made  conscious  correlation  with 
the  new.  He  has  answered  the  call  "Come  ye  out,  and  be  ye 
separate/'  yet  he  has  not  realized  the  inner  peace  or  felt  the 
loving  compassion  of  his  Guide  and  Savior,  his  True  Self. 

It  is  this  experience  which  is  symbolized  by  the  death  and 
burial  and  the  lying  in  the  grave  for  three  days.  The  three 
days  do  not  refer  to  any  period  of  time ;  for  you  lie  in  the  grave 
until  the  completion  of  three  periods  which,  for  convenience, 
we  will  call  sunrises.  The  Sun  of  Righteousness  must  rise  for 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  11? 

you  upon  three  days  or  conditions.  First,  it  must  illumine  your 
understanding.  It  must  penetrate  into  the  grave  of  despond- 
ency and  loss  of  hope  and  show  you  why  you  are  dead  and 
buried.  Second,  it  must  illumine  your  consciousness  so  that 
the  realization  of  your  Father's  nearness  and  guidance  shall 
become  a  reality.  Then  the  grave,  with  all  its  horrors  will 
become  endurable;  for  you  know  that  you  must  pass  through 
this  experience  ere  the  new  life  can  begin.  As  St.  John  puts  it 
(XII-24) :  "  Except  a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and 
die,  it  abideth  alone :  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit. ' ' 
You  realize  that  you  must  lie  there  without  struggling  or  com- 
plaining, just  as  the  grain  does,  until  the  Spirit  working  in  you 
can  bring  you  forth  anew.  Third,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  must 
illumine  your  heart.  That  is,  the  love  that  passeth  understand- 
ing must  dawn  within  you  so  that  you  can  love  all  things,  all 
men,  and  all  conditions,  and  be  able  to  cry  out,  "0  death, 
where  is  thy  sting?  0  grave,  where  is  thy  victory?"  On  the 
third  day,  very  early  in  the  morning,  ye  shall  rise  from  the 
grave  and  become  a  Child  of  the  Resurrection.  Remember  that 
the  days,  like  the  days  of  creation,  each  have  their  morning, 
their  noon- tide  and  their  evening;  and  it  was  very  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  THIRD  day,  ere  it  was  yet  light,  that  The  Christ 
arose  from  the  tomb. 

There  is  a  wonderful  significance  in  the  expression  "very 
early  in  the  morning"  that  will  be  referred  to  in  our  lesson  on 
EARTH'S  FINER  FORCES.  Until  you  receive  that  lesson  we 
trust  this  short  explanation  of  why  you  are  passing  through 
such  darkness  will  give  you  strength  to  lie  quietly  in  the  grave, 
in  loving  trust,  until  the  morning  of  the  THIRD  day  dawns  for 
you  and  the  Spirit  brings  you  forth  anew. 

In  your  case  you  have  been  learning  some  very  deep  lessons 
and  must  have  time  to  digest  them  and  correlate  them  with 
your  life.  For  until  you  have  been  tried  and  have  proven  your 
strength  you  cannot  bring  forth  the  harvest.  The  greater  the 
work  laid  out  for  a  neophyte,  the  greater  the  necessity  for  thor- 
ough testing.  This  is  a  merciful  law,  for  the  suffering  and  evil 
Karma  would  be  much  worse  to  bear  if  you  were  given  a  great 
opportunity  and  failed  for  lack  of  proper  training;  for,  of  ne- 
cessity, you  would  draw  others  down  with  you.  One  by  one  the 
things  that  hold  you  back  are  being  taken  from  you,  and  your 


118  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

whole  character  is  being  tested  and  tried.    Fight  on,  brave 
Soul.    You  have  our  love,  our  help  and  our  encouragement. 

May   19th,   1908. 

"I  have  been  exceedingly  busy  as  I  am  employed  in  a  hard- 
ware store and  it  keeps  me  busy  so  that  when  night 

comes  I  am  worn  out  so  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  concentrate 

and  gather  my  thoughts I  long  to  know,  but  at  present 

I  cannot  as  I  am  under  this  strain,  but  I  am  hoping  that  I  shall 
soon  be  in  a  position  where  all  is  peaceful  and  quiet." 

So  many  students  are  in  a  position  similar  to  yours,  so 
busy  that  everything  but  bread-and-butter  winning  seems 
crowded  out.  This  is  partly  the  result  of  the  false  standards  of 
business  and  the  methods  which  give  no  chance  for  the  poor 
man  to  get  ahead,  because  the  man  with  money  is  king.  But 
behind  it  all  there  is  a  Karma  working  itself  out  collectively  in 
the  masses  of  humanity,  and  individually  in  its  units.  No  man 
is  in  the  wrong  place.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  man  who 
finds  himself  in  the  position  of  under-dog  should  not  try  to 
better  himself.  There  is  only  one  way  to  effectually  bring 
about  a  better  condition,  and  that  is  for  him  to  recognize  that 
he  is  where  he  is  because  the  Soul,  or  Higher  Self,  realizes  that 
there  is  some  important  lesson  to  learn  which  those  conditions 
can  teach  better  than  any  other,  and  set  to  work  to  learn  that 
lesson.  No  mental  or  faith-cure  for  poverty  can  in  reality  lift 
him  out  of  his  condition.  It  can,  if  applied  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  other  desires,  bring  him  riches  for  a  time ;  that  is,  if  he  is 
willing  to  give  up  learning  the  lesson  which  his  Higher  Self  has 
set  for  him  to  learn  and  for  which  the  path  of  his  present  in- 
carnation was  especially  mapped  out,  and  devotes  his  whole  de- 
sire to  obtaining  wealth.  He  will  get  it,  but  he  will  have  to 
come  back  and  learn  the  lesson,  perhaps  at  a  time  when  the 
learning  will  be  far  harder. 

You  are  beginning  to  realize  that  conditions  do  not  really 
retard,  but  are  intended  to  make  you  THINK  and  take  account 
of  stock.  First,  try  to  determine  what  lesson  you  must  learn, 
then  take  it  determinedly  to  heart  until  you  have  conquered. 
The  world's  Karma  limits  individual  Karma;  but  within  those 
limits  individual  Karma  places  you  either  high  or  low.  We  de- 
sire to  help  each  student  to  live  the  best  he  can  in  his  karmic 
position,  and  to  help  him  understand  himself  so  that  he  can  use 
this  earth  life  as  a  stepping-stone  to  something  higher.  We  do 
not  desire  impossibilities.  We  know  that  no  man  has  conditions 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVfiLOPMEKfT.  119 

given  to  him  that  he  does  not  need,  and  that  the  moment  he  gets 
out  of  a  condition  its  highest  good  he  is  rid  of  it  forever.  We 
aim  to  help  all  to  find  the  Jewel  of  Truth  in  the  mire  of  their 
existence,  and  to  make  their  lives  more  tolerable  because  less 
mysterious  and  crushing.  Nothing  that  we  understand  can 
crush  or  terrify  us ;  for  we  can  set  out  to  overcome  it  without 
fear.  You  may  remember  the  story  of  the  great  naturalist  who, 
while  watching  a  butterfly  emerge  from  its  chrysalis,  was 
moved  to  cut  some  of  the  confining  sheath  by  pity  at  its  violent 
struggles  to  free  itself.  But  when  the  butterfly  emerged  he 
found  it  but  a  poor,  weak,  crippled  thing  unable  to  fly.  He  was 
forced  to  see  that  the  very  violence  of  the  struggle  for  freedom 
was  necessary  for  the  perfection  of  its  strength  and  self-reli- 
ance. It  is  just  so  with  each  human  Soul  in  its  struggle  to  free 
itself  from  the  chrysalis  of  the  physical.  The  greater  the 
struggle,  if  persisted  in  to  victory,  the  stronger  and  more  self- 
reliant  will  be  the  new-born  Soul. 

March  6th,  1908. 

"But  in  the  existence  of  free  will  can  you  show  me  that  it 
exists  to  any  considerable  degree?  I  know  that  it  is  the  teach- 
ing of  both  secularists  and  occultists,  but  in  its  application  to 
life  I  have  yet  to  learn  its  range  of  action.  I  do  not,  and  cannot, 
philosophically,  believe  in  the  final  loss  of  a  single  spark  of 
divinity — yet — if  free-will  existed  such  a  loss  follows  as  a  matter 
of  course.  Is  it  free,  or  free  within  limits?" 

As  to  free-will,  each  and  every  Soul  is  but  a  separated  part 
of  the  One  Life,  and  as  such  its  highest  aspect  has  but  the  Will 
of  the  Father,  i.  e.  to  do  His  will  on  earth  in  a  separated  body 
as  it  is  done  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father.  As  it  gets  more  and 
more  immersed  in  matter  the  True  Self  sets  up  many  side  issues 
as  it  were  (see  lesson  on  REINCARNATION) ;  makes  many 
new  karmic  debts.  And  while  the  True  Self  never  changes  in 
its  desire  and  will  to  be  reunited  to  the  Father,  yet  the  lower 
or  animal  consciousness  (the  sum  of  the  consciousness  of  the 
atoms  composing  the  various  bodies  through  which  the  Soul 
has  garnered  experience)  has  set  up  a  will  of  its  own.  This 
has  crystallized  into  an  entity  with  a  will  opposed  to  the  Will  of 
the  Real  Self.  This  lower  will  is  not  free,  for  it  can,  and  in- 
deed must,  ultimately,  be  subservient  to  the  Will  of  the  Real 
Self. 

But  perhaps  this  does  not  answer  your  question ;  for  prob- 
ably what  you  mean  by  free-will  is  freedom  of  choice  as  to  the 


ISO  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

guidance  of  the  environments  and  experiences  of  life.  But, 
my  son,  in  this  case  as  in  the  former,  there  is  absolute  free-will 
for  the  Real  Self.  For,  as  I  have  said,  being  a  separated  part 
of  the  whole,  the  desire  is  to  gain  such  experiences  as  shall  fit 
it  to  fill  the  place  which  is  its  own  in  the  Temple  of  Truth.  At 
each  incarnation  the  Soul  chooses  such  an  expression  in  the 
earth  life  as  shall  give  the  best  opportunity  to  gain  the  needed 
knowledge.  The  Soul  will  not  that  the  perishable  mortal  body 
of  flesh  shall  skim  gaily  through  its  allotted  time ;  for  only  too 
well  does  the  Soul  know  the  dangers  of  such  care-free  lives  and 
the  depressing  lines  of  Karma  that  result,  and  which  must  be 
worked  out  ere  it  can  go  on  with  other  needed  experiences ;  it 
wills  to  suffer  and  conquer  and  learn.  After  the  result  of  each 
petty  life-period  is  garnered  the  Soul  creates  a  new  path  in 
which  to  walk,  perhaps  even  more  strenuous  than  those  already 
traversed.  The  Soul  sees  what  is  needed  to  impress  the  most 
important  lessons  upon  the  true  consciousness;  for  the  Soul 
never  has  experiences  that  are  not  needed.  It  wills  to  learn, 
and  when  the  lesson  is  learned  and  the  experience  assimilated, 
it  wills  to  experience  something  else ;  and  so  on  and  on,  until  a 
consciousness  of  ALL  conditions  on  the  earth  plane  is  garnered 
into  the  storehouse  of  the  Real  Self. 

April    13th,   1908. 

"I  find  myself  so  much  out  of  touch  with  the  community 
here  who  are  thoroughly  saturated  with  church  dogmas  re- 
garding forgiveness  of  sins  and  reducing  Deity  to  physical  plane 
dimensions  that  it  would  be  very  selfish  in  me  to  wish  the  gap 
made  wider.  I  am  doing  what  little  I  can  to  assist  some  to  a 
larger  conception  without  producing  chaos  in  their  minds." 

All  manifestations  of  life,  from  atom  to  cosmos,  are  in  a 
circle.  This  is  as  true  of  the  spiritual  life-wave  of  a  community 
as  of  any  of  the  lower  forms  of  life.  You  feel  that  because  you 
have  some  conception  of  truth  in  advance  of  your  neighbors 
that  you  are  separated  from  them,  and  you  fear  to  take  another 
step  lest  the  separation  grow  wider.  I  know  your  difficulty  is 
a  real  one,  and  that  from  your  standpoint  you  do  not  see  that 
there  is  extreme  egotism  in  the  supposition  that  you  are  so  far 
in  advance  that  in  kindness  and  condescension  you  will  not 
make  the  gap  wider.  Just  for  a  moment  try  to  grasp  the  idea 
of  a  circle  with  you  and  your  neighbors  disposed  in  various 
positions  on  its  outer  rim.  Naturally,  as  you  cannot  see  around 
the  circle,  the  man  at  the  opposite  pole  seems  hopelessly  sepa- 
rated from  you.  But  if  you  will  consider  the  manifestations  of 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.         121 

life  you  will  find  that  within  the  circle  of  manifestation  there 
is  a  germinal  point  or  nucleus,  and  that  from  this  central  point 
all  growth  proceeds;  that  the  radiating  lines  of  force  spread 
out  and  touch  all  points  of  the  circumference  at  the  same  time. 
Therefore,  any  nutriment  or  knowledge — no  matter  of  what 
type — applied  to  one  point  would  be  gradually  absorbed  by  the 
germinal  point,  and  from  thence  would  radiate  to  all  parts  of 
the  circle.  A  community  is  just  such  a  circle.  Its  thought  and 
spiritual  ideas  have  crystallized  and  have  poured  their  force 
into  the  germinal  point,  and  that  point  can  give  out  only  such 
food  as  corresponds  with  the  stimulus  from  the  outer  rim  de- 
manding a  certain  kind  of  response.  If  any  point  on  the  circle 
should  open  its  consciousness  to  a  higher  rate  of  vibration  or 
correlate  with  more  advanced  truth,  i.  e.  should  live  The  Christ 
life,  the  absolute  Law  of  Harmony  must  advance  all  the  rest, 
even  without  a  word  being  spoken,  that  is,  IF  THE  TRUTH 
RECEIVED  IS  ASSIMILATED  AND  EXPRESSED  IN  THE 
LIFE  as  vital  growth.  You  must  "live  the  life." 

The  very  truth  of  the  conditions  you  so  much  deplore 
shows  that  there  is  a  hunger,  a  reaching  out  for  light.  All  true 
growth  proceeds  from  the  center.  What  comes  from  the  heart 
touches  the  heart.  No  one  can  give  spiritual  force  to  another 
until  he  has  made  it  a  part  of  himself;  for  as  long  as  the  "great 
heresy  of  separateness"  holds  sway  over  your  mind  you  are  in 
bondage  to  the  lower  self.  Find  the  center  within  your  own 
heart  and  you  will  soon  find  that  you  are  closer  to  all  humanity, 
rather  than  more  separate.  If  your  object  is  merely  to  be  con- 
sidered a  saint,  then  failure  and  sorrow  is  your  inevitable 
portion. 

June    1st,   1908. 

"Your  communication  of  nearly  a  month  ago  has  been  very 
carefully  considered, and  I  have  waited  for  the  out- 
come and  believe  that  the  leading  of  the  Higher  Self  has 
prompted  me  to  take  up  the  work  of  the  Order.  Upon  my 
suggestion wrote  you and  we  may  find  oth- 
ers to  join  us,  but  until  then  we  would  like  to  think  of  our- 
selves as  a  little  nucleus,  a  little  attracting  center,  working  for 
the  development  of  the  best  within  ourselves  and  humanity." 

We  appreciate  your  attitude  of  devotion  to  the  Higher 
Life,  and  we  are  glad  that  you  have  realized  the  only  way 
really  to  help  humanity  is  to  take  hold  of  that  morsel  of  hu- 
manity over  which  you  have  been  given  command,  (your  vari- 
ous bodies  and  all  pertaining  to  them,  the  portion  of  goods 


UJ         LETTERS  F&OM  THE  TEACHER. 

belonging  to  you — given  to  you  by  your  Father  ere  you  took 
your  journey  into  this  far  country  of  earth  life)  and  begin  by 
redeeming  it.  That  is  the  only  way  to  make  an  impression  and 
help  accomplish  the  work.  If  we  try  to  lift  up  the  whole  mass 
we  are  crushed  under  its  weight  and  become  hopelessly  dis- 
couraged by  the  vastness  of  the  task.  It  is  like  trying  to  break 
a  great  bundle  of  twigs  all  at  once.  But,  to  find,  as  a  Soul 
reality,  that  the  "I  and  my  brother  are  one"  and  then  set  to 
work  within  the  Self  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  is  lost,  is 
to  create  a  center  or  home  in  which  The  Christ  can  manifest — a 
fit  Temple  for  the  Living  God  (your  Higher  Self)  to  dwell  in 
among  men. 

This  is  the  sure,  in  fact  the  only  true,  way  to  become  an 
agent  of  the  Masters.  We  are  apt  to  speak  lightly,  or  at  least 
without  understanding,  of  the  body  as  the  Temple  of  the  Living 
God,  but  a  few  moments  meditation  on  the  subject  each  day 
will  open  up  wonderous  vistas  of  The  Path  to  Mastery.  A  Holy 
Temple  must  not  only  have  its  sacred  shrine  wherein  The  Pres- 
ence dwelleth ;  but  it  must  also  have  its  attendant  High  Priest 
and  High  Priestess,  its  daily  sacrifice,  its  feasts  and  its  fasts  of 
purification;  and  over  and  above  all,  it  must  make  its  impres- 
sion upon  the  community.  Think  back  over  the  ages  and  see 
how  the  rise  and  fall  of  civilizations  has  followed  the  purity  or 
the  pollution  of  the  Temples  and  the  worship.  Enumerate  them 
and  you  will  find  an  exact  analogy  to  the  effect  on  a  com- 
munity of  one  purified  human  temple  with  its  worship  of  the 
Living  God,  be  it  in  apparently  ever  so  humble  an  human  body. 
When  two  or  three  such  are  gathered  together  the  promise 
must  fulfill  itself:  "Behold,  there  am  I  (The  Christos)  in  the 
midst. " 

Jan.  21st,  1908. 

"Will  you  kindly  tell  me  whether  this  philosophy  will  re- 
veal to  me  why  there  seems  to  be  so  much  demand  for  self- 
sacrifice  with  apparently  so  little  return?" 

This  philosophy  will  at  least  show  you  what  the  Real  Self 
is.  And  once  you  become  acquainted  with,  or  even  begin  to 
realize,  your  Real  Self  you  will  know  that  there  can  be  no  self- 
sacrifice.  All  lower  forms  of  self  are  but  expressions  of  the 
One  Self,  and  must  be  indrawn  into  the  One  Self.  The  lower 
selves  are  like  the  outer  husks  of  the  seed  which  are  dissolved 
and  their  substance  indrawn  to  form  nourishment  for  the  seed, 
to  enrich  it  and  enable  it  to  grow  and  blossom.  If  you  choose 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  123 

to  call  promoting  the  growth  and  blossoming  in  that  way  self- 
sacrifice,  it  must  remain  that  for  you  for  the  present.  But  if 
you  call  it  growth  and  unf oldment,  the  return  is  happiness  and 
a  greater  fulness  of  life. 

May  5th,  1908. 

"I  hesitate  to  take  a  step  which  may  place  me  in  the  light 
of  an  example,  lest  I  fail  in  some  way  that  would  bring  re- 
proach upon  the  work." 

As  to  failings,  we  all  have  them.  The  greatest  example  the 
world  can  have  is  to  see  a  brave  Soul  struggling  to  do  right. 
A  perfect  man — perfect  in  his  own  estimation — if  such  an  one 
could  be  found,  perfect  and  immaculately  moral  and  correct  in 
every  outward  seeming,  would  help  the  world  very  little.  It  is 
those  who  are  honest  with  themselves;  who  know  their  own 
weaknesses  yet  are  striving  to  conquer ;  who  recognize  that 
they  are  not  above  their  fellow  men ;  who  are  capable  of  feeling 
a  sympathetic  thrill  with  every  failing  and  can  grasp  a 
brother's  hand  and  from  the  heart  encourage  him  to  struggle 
onward,  because  they  themselves  are  still  struggling;  they  are 
the  ones  who  are  the  real  examples.  Apply  this  test  to  any 
earthly  contest  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  not  the  one  who  is 
perfect,  who  knows  it  all,  who  helps ;  but  it  is  the  one  who  is 
struggling  with  all  his  strength  for  supremacy  who  awakens 
the  spirit  of  endeavor  in  his  comrades. 

June    15th,    1908. 

"I  am  becoming  unpleasantly  sensitive  to  all  conditions; 
today  I  am  on  the  heights  and  tomorrow  in  the  depths  of  de- 
spair and  misery.  Can  you  tell  me  how  to  gain  more  poise?" 

Poise  is  not  the  stoical  indifference  to  pain  and  pleasure ; 
but  rather  rising  above  it.  We  never  reach  a  point  where  the 
waves  of  force  generated  by  the  opposite  poles,  pain  and  pleas- 
ure, cannot  reach  us ;  but  we  can  rise  above  them  so  they  cannot 
sweep  us  from  one  extreme  to  another.  It  is  like  riding  on  a 
see-saw:  those  on  the  ends  are  lifted  now  high  in  the  air  and 
now  are  bumped  on  the  ground ;  but  a  person  standing  in  the 
middle  and  balancing  it  has  absolute  control  of  both  extremi- 
ties without  being  moved  to  any  appreciable  extent  in  either 
direction.  To  enjoy  intensely  carries  with  it,  as  the  opposite 
swing  of  the  pendulum,  the  power  to  suffer  to  a  corresponding 
degree.  Poise  is  the  ability  to  remain  calm  at  the  center,  and, 
while  recognizing  and  understanding  both  the  greatest  joy  and 
the  greatest  sorrow,  not  be  carried  to  either  extreme. 

Ere  a  disciple  can  conquer  he  must  become  more  than  ordi- 


124  LETTERS   FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

narily  sensitive;  must  be  capable  of  vibrating  more  intensely 
than  his  imagination  can  picture  at  lower  stages  of  develop- 
ment. No  Soul  can  enter  into  the  joy  of  the  Lord,  i.  e.  have  an 
illuminating  sense  of  the  glory  of  The  Christos,  until  that  Soul 
has  become  like  a  quivering  bundle  of  nerves,  capable  of  regis- 
tering the  extremes  of  sensation.  But  with  this  extreme  sen- 
sitiveness must  come  the  power  to  control  it ;  the  ability  to  hold 
still  and  not  be  moved ;  in  fact,  to  master  sensation.  To  control 
sensation  is  the  first  step  toward  Mastery.  Until  this  step 
has  been  taken  all  others  are  barred  by  the  very  laws  of 
Nature ;  for  the  seat  of  sensation  is  in  the  astral  body  which  is 
the  path  of  communication  between  the  physical  and  the  spir- 
itual. Hence,  until  the  Soul  can  consciously  walk  this  path 
without  fear  and  without  reproach,  steady  and  calm,  the  dis- 
ciple can  never  reach  into  the  spiritual  realms. 

You  can  gain  a  good  idea  of  what  we  mean  if  you  will 
study  the  needle  of  a  compass  that  is  badly  poised  (centered). 
Such  a  needle  is  called  "sluggish,"  that  is,  it  is  not  easily  set 
in  motion ;  but  when  it  is  it  rushes  madly  around  the  circle  and 
probably  gets  wedged  or  stuck.  At  most  it  will  fail  to  settle 
on  the  N  point.  A  highly  sensitized  needle,  on  the  contrary, 
will  register  every  magnetic  wave  and  will  be  in  almost  a  con- 
stant quiver;  but  no  matter  how  rapid  the  vibration  caused 
by  adverse  conditions,  it  will  scarcely  move  from  the  N  point. 
If  it  should  be  displaced  it  will  always  come  back  and  settle 
exactly  true  to  the  North.  This,  in  a  nut-shell,  is  the  whole 
lesson  of  poise. 

April  21st,  1908. 

"I  have  never  been  able  to  see  how  'a  ray  from  the  infinite* 
can  in  its  essence  be  separated  from  the  all-pervading  whole 
and  require  any  working  out  of  its  own  redemption.  To  me 
the  working  out  of  a  personal  salvation  partakes  of  the  nature 
of  selfishness  which  is  the  principal  cause  of  present  world 
troubles." 

In  answer  to  your  query  let  me  give  you  a  parable.  Two 
men  were  ship-wrecked  in  the  night  while  they  slept,  and  were 
cast  upon  a  desert  island.  One,  upon  gaining  consciousness, 
was  very  much  concerned  as  to  how  he  got  there,  so  he  spent 
his  time  sitting  around  trying  to  solve  the  problem.  The  other 
man  was  just  as  much  puzzled ;  but  instead  of  sitting  down  to 
think  it  out,  he  started  at  once  to  find  out  what  kind  of  an 
island  he  had  landed  upon  and  how  he  was  going  to  live  there 
most  comfortably.  He  was  so  busy  with  this  that  he  had  very 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  125 

little  time  to  worry  about  how  he  got  there.  He  built  a-  hut, 
found  food  and  water,  and  finally  discovered  a  mine  of  pure 
gold.  He  also  found  a  means  of  signalling  and  making 
his  distress  known.  In  the  fulness  of  time  a  ship  saw  his  sig- 
nals and  took  him  home  to  civilization.  There  he  found  out  all 
about  how  he  got  on  the  island  where  he  had  learned  so  many 
valuable  lessons;  and,  moreover,  he  was  very  rich.  He  then 
realized  that  his  experience  on  the  island  was  for  his  best  good 
after  all,  even  though  he  could  not  see  it  at  the  time. 

The  other  man  pined  away  and  died  in  hunger  and  misery 
because  he  could  not  solve  the  problem  of  how  he  got  on  the 
island.  Which  of  these  men  think  you,  was  the  wiser?  He  who 
made  the  best  of  things,  using  all  the  powers  and  intelligence 
he  had  and  waiting  until  he  got  to  a  point  where  knowledge  of 
the  "why"  was  possible,  or  he  who  made  himself  miserable  be- 
cause he  wanted  knowledge  that  could  not  be  given  him  until 
he  himself  had  found  a  way  to  reach  the  necessary  point? 

Thus  must  it  be  with  mankind.  Solve  the  problems  that 
confront  you  here  and  now  and  the  higher  problems  that  be- 
long to  the  Infinite  leave  until  your  finite  mind  becomes  ab- 
sorbed into  the  Infinite,  when  all  things  will  be  made  plain. 

When  it  is  once  grasped  that  the  working  out  of  a  personal 
salvation  is  the  only  way  really  to  help  the  world,  the  man  who 
neglects  it  is  a  retarder  of  the  public  good.  No  one  can  be  a 
savior  until  he  has  redeemed  every  atom  of  all  the  bodies, 
(physical,  mental  and  spiritual)  committed  to  his  care.  These 
are  the  portion  of  goods  belonging  to  him — given  to  him  at  his 
own  request  by  his  Father-in-heaven  ere  he  took  his  long 
journey  into  this  "far  country"  of  physical  embodiment.  If 
one  fails  to  see  the  necessity  for  caring  for  and  redeeming  his 
goods,  he  must  eat  husks  with  the  swine  until  he  is  ready  to 
say :  ' '  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  Father. ' ' 

You  say  you  are  willing  to  take  light  from  any  source; 
then  look  for  the  light  of  The  Christ  that  shines  within  your 
own  heart.  Dig  among  the  refuse  and  uncover  the  Flame  and 
set  it  upon  a  candlestick  that  the  light  may  shine  before  men. 

Jan.    9th,    1908. 

"I  feel  the  need  of  guidance  and  protection  in  treading  the 
narrow  path  between  subjective  mediumship  on  the  one  hand 
and  'quenching  of  the  spirit'  on  the  other.  I  have  had  dreams 
and  visions  of  a  marked  character,  some  of  which  seem  like  ini- 


126  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

tiations.    Also  some  psychic  experiences I  have  never 

had  from  anyone  an  explanation  of  them,  or  personal  instruc- 
tion in  these  matters." 

I  would  like  you  to  write  down  carefully  just  what  your 
brain  mind  was  able  to  register  of  the  initiations  through  which 
you  seem  to  have  passed.  You  have  realized  the  truth  that  it 
is,  indeed,  a  narrow  path  between  subjective  mediumship  and 
the  ' '  quenching  of  the  spirit. ' '  This  is  the ' '  Bridge  of  Swords ' ' 
over  which  Mahomet  crossed  the  abyss  ere  he  entered  paradise. 
Every  true  disciple  of  the  Masters  of  Wisdom  must  walk  this 
path.  There  is  no  other  bridge  across  that  terrible  abyss ;  but 
each  of  the  Masters  has  crossed  it  and  They  are  waiting  with 
loving  encouragement  on  the  other  side.  They  have  fastened  a 
three-fold  cord  all  the  way  across.  Hold  fast  to  it  and  your 
feet  will  not  slip  in  the  darkness,  nor  will  the  monsters  of  the 
deep  have  power  to  frighten  you.  This  three-fold  cord  is  Love, 
Trust  and  Obedience.  Your  loving  Father  waits  patiently  for 
you  on  the  brink  and  sends  out  His  voice  to  you  through  the 
darkness ;  a  still  small  voice,  yet  it  sounds  in  your  heart  like  the 
sound  of  many  waters.  If  you  listen  it  will  swallow  up  all 
other  sounds  and  will  say  to  you,  "Lo!  I  am  with  thee,  even 
unto  the  end.  Fear  thou  not!"  But,  dear  child,  full  well  do 
we  know  the  way  is  lonely  and  your  human  heart  cries  out  for 
companionship.  You  have  reached  a  point  where  you  shall 
meet  and  know  your  fellow  travelers  on  The  Path.  Therefore 
I  say  unto  thee :  Open  thine  understanding  and  heed  the  words 
I  have  spoken.  Follow  the  dictates  of  your  intuition;  for  no 
matter  if  your  earthly  brain  does  forget,  your  Soul  KNOWS 
and  can  make  no  mistake. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Theosophical  movement  it  was 
necessary  to  warn  disciples  against  psychicism  because  of  the 
many  dangers  that  beset  the  way,  knowing  full  well  that  THE 
REAL  MYSTIC  could  not  be  quenched.  Unfortunately,  how- 
ever, these  well  meant  warnings  were  so  embellished  by  the 

later  followers  of  H.  P.  B by  those  who  knew  least 

about  such  experiences  and  who  became  most  rabid  and  bitter 
against  anyone  who  apparently  took  a  step  beyond  their  own 

dense,  materialistic  ideas that  there  was  great  danger 

of  " quenching  of  the  spirit/'  This  is  one  of  the  reasons  for 
this  Movement,  namely,  that  all  who  are  able  to  perceive  spir- 
itually may  have  the  personal  help  necessary  in  treading  the 
1  'Bridge  of  Swords/' 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  127 

March  3rd,  1908. 

"How  can  I  increase  my  love  for  my  'fellow  man?'  when 
the  very  sight  of  some  of  them  gives  me  the  'creeps'?  Now  I 
do  not  mean  the  unfortunates.  I  do  seem  to  love  the  outcast, 
the  tramp,  the  generally  unlovely!  But  people  of  refinement, 
even  one  member  of  my  own  family,  I  just  dread  to  hear  her 
footstep  and  dislike  her  personality  so  that  I  could  almost 
scream  when  I  hear  her  coming.  Many  a  time  I  go  out  of 
the  house  and  stay  out  as  long  as  I  can  just  to  avoid  looking 
at  her.  I  feel  condemned." 

As  to  what  you  say  about  increasing  your  love  for  your 
fellow  man,  the  best  way  is  to  forget  all  about  those  who  upset 
you  and  think  only  of  The  Christ  love  and  draw  near  to  that. 
Keep  away  from  those  who  are  absolutely  repugnant  to  you  if 
possible ;  for  there  is  always  a  good  reason.  If  you  think  con- 
tinually of  those  who  only  arouse  the  evil  side  of  your  nature 
you  retard  your  growth,  and  most  likely  increase  their  natural 
antagonism.  If  you  cannot  do  this,  determine  that  you  will 
create  a  wall  of  force  around  yourself  that  nothing  inharmoni- 
ous or  unlovely  can  pierce ;  that  you  will  not  speak  an  unkind 
word;  that  you  are  too  well  balanced  and  surrounded  with  im- 
mortal love  to  allow  anything  that  is  outside  to  affect  you. 
Repeat  tke  HEALING  PRAYER  and  realize  that  you  ARE 
filled  with  "Life  and  Love  and  Purity/1  and  that  you  will  give 
out  nothing  but  those  forces  to  anyone  with  whom  you  come 
in  contact. 

If  anything  inharmonious  arises,  be  sure  that  it  is  some- 
thing outside  yourself,  then  calmly  ignore  it.  Generally  there 
is  some  condition  brought  over  from  a  past  life  that  must  be 
worked  out  in  your  present  environment.  If  you  realize  that 
you  will  have  to  endure  until  you  learn  the  lesson  of  equanim- 
ity and  grow  above  their  power  to  disquiet,  you  will  at  once 
find  an  improvement.  It  has  been  said  that  people  are  neither 
our  friends  nor  our  enemies,  only  our  teachers;  and  we  may 
make  things  worse  by  trying  to  force  conditions  instead  of 
learning  the  lesson  they  have  to  teach.  Hold  the  attitude  of 
always  being  ready  to  help  whenever  your  help  is  needed. 

July  25th. 
"I  am  a  member  of  a  New  Thought  Church  and  the  classes 

and  teachings  of  the  same I  have  done  some  teaching 

along  New  Thought  lines  and  am  considered  very  advanced  and 

strong  by  my  associates  there During  the  last  year 

I  seem  to  have  no  vitality  or  enthusiasm  over  any- 
thing.   I  first  thought  it  was  a  physical  condition,  but  physical 


128  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

remedies  do  not  abolish  it.  Besides,  for  many  years  now  my 
mind  has  been  able  to  make  me  forget  and  overcome  my  body. 
My  mind  seems  to  be  unable  to  give  me  the  stimulus  it  used 
to.  I  have  to  constantly  fight  depression.  There  are  no  mate- 
rial causes  for  this  mental  heaviness Perhaps  you  may 

think  it  is  a  case  of  mental  indigestion,  but  I  have  tried  rest 
for  my  mind,  but  it  only  makes  these  attacks  of  numbness  more 
pronounced.  Is  there  any  knowledge  which  can  help  me?" 

You  ask  for  help  and  the  Law  is  that  all  who  ask  must  re- 
ceive ;  but  we  feel  that  we  cannot  help  you  much  without  up- 
setting some  of  your  preconceived  ideas,  and  we  know  from 
sad  experience  that  this  is  not  a  pleasant  task.  But  when  one 
asks  we  can  but  give  the  food  the  Master  has  given  us  to  dis- 
tribute. It  is  but  two  loaves  of  bread  and  five  small  fishes,  and 
those  who  cannot  eat  bread  and  fish  may  have  to  go  away 
hungry;  but  for  those  who  can  eat  and  be  filled  with  such  food 
they  are  more  than  welcome. 

You  complain  of  a  lack  of  vitality  and  enthusiasm ;  let  us 
look  for  the  cause.  The  whole  trend  of  the  so-called  New 
Thought  is  to  deify  mind,  to  make  mind  supreme.  As  you  put  it, 
the  mind  has  been  trained  to  forget  and  overcome  the  body. 
That  is  all  very  well,  BUT  what  if  the  mind  itself  grows  ex- 
hausted? What  if  it  reaches  a  point  of  development  where  it 
has  emptied  itself?  Where  constant  affirmations  and  strenuous 
thought  forces  have  ceased  to  satisfy?  where  the  mind  refuses 
longer  to  sit  upon  the  throne  it  has  usurped?  where  the  mind 
has  awakened  to  a  knowledge  that  it  is  but  a  vehicle,  a  servant, 
and  cries  out  for  help  and  guidance?  This  is  the  point  that  you 
have  reached,  and  nothing  can  help  you  but  a  recognition  of 
this  truth. 

Instead  of  bowing  down  to  mind,  listen  for  the  Still  Small 
Voice  that  speaks  in  the  "  Soundless  sound. "  What  was  it  that 
led  you  to  come  to  us  for  help?  Whatever  it  was  listen  to  it 
again  and  ask  it  if  this  advice  is  good.  You  are  hungry  for 
Divine  Love  and  the  guidance  of  your  Father-in-heaven.  You 
have  reached  the  parting  of  the  ways  and  must  choose  the  table 
from  which  you  will  eat  henceforth.  If  the  morsel  of  food  you 
receive  herewith  is  acceptable  to  you  we  would  be  pleased  to 
hear  the  reply  you  receive  from  the  Voice. 

July   28th. 
"Do  you  not  regard  mind  as  God's  greatest  gift  to  man, 

and  the  desire  to  cultivate  it  a  divine  instinct? ,1  feel 

like  a  chrysalis — in   a  state   of  development — so  reach   out  to 
the  light  wherever  I  see  a  glimpse." 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  129 

As  to  mind  being  God's  greatest  gift,  we  would  say  that 
mind  is,  indeed,  man's  crowning  gift,  or,  to  put  it  differently, 
mind  is  the  highest  step  attainable  for  mere  man.  But  mind  or 
Manas,  the  fifth  principle,  is  dual  and  is  called  in  Eastern  phil- 
osophy the  higher  and  lower  Manas.  It  can  be  attached  to  the 
lower  principles  (Sthula  Sharira  or  gross  physical  body; 
Linga  Sharira  or  astral  body  or  body  of  sensation;  Prana  or 
life-force,  and  Kama  or  animal  soul)  and  make  man  an  intellect- 
ual animal,  or  it  can  be  drawn  upward  and  merged  into  and 
become  one  with  the  higher  principles  (Buddhi,  the  Soul  and 
Atma,  the  Spirit)  and  form  the  Divine  triangle — something 
more  than  mere  human  mind.  Mind  alone  is  but  an  instrument, 
a  tool;  but  mind  merged  into  Soul  and  Spiritual  essence  be- 
comes the  Divine  Indweller,  the  Father-in-heaven,  the  Higher 
Self.  In  the  majority  of  mankind  mind  is  vacillating,  occasion- 
ally reaching  up  to  the  Divine,  but  again  falling  to  earth. 

To  devote  all  one's  effort  to  the  cultivation  of  mind  (the 
instrument)  and  to  set  mind  upon  the  throne  of  Spirit,  is 
eventually  to  become  a  mere  intellectual  machine ;  and  sooner 
or  later  the  mind  itself  rebels  and  forces  rest  and  recuperation. 
To  quote  Bulwer  Lytton:  "The  soul  has  need  of  pauses  of  re- 
pose,— intervals  of  escape,  not  only  from  the  fiesh,  but  even 
from  the  mind.  A  man  of  loftiest  intellect  will  experience  times 
when  mere  intellect  not  only  fatigues  him,  but  amidst  its  most 
original  conceptions,  amidst  its  proudest  triumphs,  has  a  some- 
thing trite  and  commonplace  compared  with  one  of  those  vague 
intimations  of  a  spiritual  destiny  which  are  not  within  the  ordi- 
nary domain  of  reason. ' '  We  strongly  recommend  you  to  read 
Bulwer  Lytton 's  A  STRANGE  STORY.  Read  it  carefully, 
recognizing  that  the  character,  Dr.  Fenwick,  represents  mind 
or  pure  intellect  and  reason  alone ;  Margrave  animal  man  alone, 
and  Lillian  the  Soul,  and  we  think  you  will  get  a  new  concep- 
tion of  the  relative  position  and  value  of  the  three. 

What  you  are  pleased  to  term  " instinct"  as  prompting 
you  to  write  to  us  we  would  give  the  higher  name  of  intuition. 
Instinct  is  that  which  guides  the  lower  kingdoms  alone,  not 
man.  Instinct  is  that  unseen  guiding  force  of  the  universal 
Life-essence  that  urges  inanimate  nature  to  seek  for  the  best 
conditions  for  growth,  and  to  overcome  obstacles  and  adapt  it- 
self to  conditions  until  it  reaches  the  end  for  which  it  was  cre- 
ated. It  also  acts  in  all  creatures,  animal  man  included,  with 
an  incessant  urge  toward  an  end, — the  end  for  which  they  are 


130  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

destined.  Intuition,  on  the  contrary,  is  the  Voice  of  the  Soul 
speaking  to  man,  who  alone  of  all  creation  has  reached  a  point 
in  evolution  where  mind  has  become  dual;  for  many  brutes 
have  mind,  and  a  highly  developed  mind,  but  it  is  not  dual. 
That  is,  the  brutes  have  only  what  we  call  lower  Manas  and 
are  guided  through  instinct  by  the  Universal  Mind,  while  man, 
who  has  reached  the  point  of  development  where  the  lower 
mind  has  been  overshadowed  by  and  attached  to  Soul  and 
Spirit,  has  the  guidance  put  into  his  own  hands.  Hence,  the 
brute  thinks ;  but  only  along  lines  which  lead  to  its  own  well- 
being.  Man  can  listen  to  the  dictates  of  a  higher  Will  and  can 
fashion  his  mind  after  the  Divine,  or  we  might  put  it  that  the 
brute  is  guided  by  an  Universal  Mind  outside  of  itself  while 
man  has  his  source  of  guidance  within  himself  and  is  individu- 
ally responsible  for  the  result. 

The  chrysalis  which  you  feel  enfolding  you  is  the  effort  of 
the  mind  to  draw  away  from  the  lower  fields  of  mere  intellect- 
ual activity,  and  the  struggling  into  the  Divine  Light  where 
the  mind  shall  take  its  true  place  at  the  base  of  the  triangle 
whose  apex  is  Divinity.  Just  as  a  grub,  when  it  has  fulfilled 
its  life  as  a  grub  and  has  garnered  all  the  experience  to  be 
gained  from  that  state,  wraps  itself  round  with  a  cocoon  and 
becomes  a  chrysalis  and  drops  into  a  lethargic  sleep  only  to 
awaken  as  a  butterfly, — a  thing  with  wings  capable  of  reach- 
ing up  into  and  exploring  a  higher  element  (the  air), — so  the 
mind  shall  find  its  wings  and  shall  soar  upward  into  spiritual 
realms.  The  grub  and  the  butterfly  are  the  same  creature,  but 
how  different!  The  butterfly  has  not  left  the  earth,  but  it  is  no 
linger  confined  to  it.  So  it  is  with  the  mind  when  wedded  to 
Soul  and  guided  by  intuition. 

To  laboriously  cultivate  the  mind  is  well,  for  knowledge 
is  power;  but  there  is  a  better  way,  the  way  indicated  by  the 
great  Master  Jesus  when,  in  speaking  of  The  Christ  principle 
within,  He  said:  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life."  For 
Christ-life  is  Wisdom,  and  Wisdom  includes  all  knowledge. 
When  The  Christ  within  is  enthroned  the  Still  Small  Voice  will 
never  desert  or  fail  us,  and  ONLY  THEN  are  all  things  ours, 
all  knowledge  and  all  needed  help;  for  your  Father  knoweth 
that  he  have  need  of  them  be  they  what  they  may.  The  at- 
tempt to  avoid  living  The  Christ-life  by  worshiping  mind  is 
futile.  "Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  all  these 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.  131 

things  shall  be  added  unto  you"  is  not  a  mere  platitude,  but 
the  most  practical  of  all  occult  directions. 

Feb.  2nd,  1908. 

"I  should  be  glad  if  you  could  give  me  a  clear  explanation 
of  how  I  should  approach  the  'entering  into  the  silence.'  I 
have  been  attempting  this  but  the  result  so  far  has  only  been 
to  disturb  my  usual  sound  sleep  and  bringing  into  my  waking 
consciousness  broken  remnants  of  life  during  sleep,  many  of 
which  I  can  only  associate  with  the  working  of  the  lower  mind. 
Also  what  will  the  remembering  consist  of  and  when  is  the 
best  time  to  make  the  effort?  So  far  it  has  been  made  imme- 
diately before  going  to  sleep." 

All  that  is  desirable  at  the  time  of  falling  to  sleep  is  to 
compose  the  mind  and  give  an  upward  trend  to  the  thoughts 
by  a  heart-felt  prayer  such  as  we  sent  you  with  the  last  lesson, 
(the  MORNING  PRAYER.  Ed.).  Sink  off  to  sleep  as  nearly 
as  possible  like  a  little  child,  with  a  calm  faith  in  the  Father's 
care  and  a  feeling  of  brotherhood  to  all  humanity.  Should 
there  be  anyone  with  whom  you  find  it  hard  to  get  along,  or 
who  has  deeply  wronged  you,  do  not  harass  yourself  in  a  vain 
effort  to  think  lovingly  of  them.  Just  say:  "I  forgive.  If  I 
cannot  forgive  now  I  pray  the  Father  to  give  me  a  forgiving 
spirit/'  In  the  meantime  put  the  unforgiven  one  out  of  your 
mind  entirely;  for  man  cannot  think  of  wrongs  without  stir- 
ring up  unkind  feelings,  and  this  must  never  be  allowed,  es- 
pecially upon  going  to  sleep. 

The  time  to  enter  into  The  Silence  is  any  convenient  time 
when  you  can  have  at  least  ten  minutes  alone.  If  possible, 
have  the  same  time,  the  same  room  and  the  same  chair;  for 
thought  impresses  itself  upon  so-called  inanimate  things  and  in 
this  way  no  effort  is  lost.  Sit  down  comfortably,  close  your 
eyes  and,  after  repeating  the  PRAYER  OF  CONSECRATION1 
and  adding  any  personal  petition  that  your  Soul  dictates, 
quietly  determine  that  the  mind  shall  remain  blank.  Then  BE- 
LIEVE that  your  Real  Self  can  and  will  draw  near  and  will 
guide  you  if  you  can  succeed  in  stilling  the  physical  vibrations. 
This  may  take  time  and  practice,  and  you  may  fall  asleep ;  but 
do  not  let  anything  discourage  or  worry  you.  If  your  mind 
wanders  or  becomes  active,  bring  it  back  and  mentally  repeat: 
Silence!  Silence!  You  will  soon  find  that  you  will  come  from 
this  period  of  silence  refreshed  in  body  and  mind,  and  that  you 
have  strong  impressions  and  a  comprehension  of  truths  that 

1  Bee  Appendix. 


13ij  LETTERS  FROM  THE 

previously  were  vague.  Never  argue  with  yourself  about  a 
truth  heard  for  the  first  time;  but  mentally  take  it  with  you 
and,  before  going  into  The  Silence,  lay  the  puzzle  before  your 
Higher  Self.  You  may  not  get  immediate  enlightenment,  but 
sooner  or  later  you  will  see  that  the  matter  has  cleared  up  and 
apparently  you  have  " thought  it  out"  for  yourself.  You  may 
get  your  answer  most  unexpectedly  from  a  book,  a  letter,  a 
lecture  or  a  chance  remark  of  a  friend;  but  somehow  you  will 
get  your  answer.  Finally  you  will  gain  the  power  of  coming 
personally  and  CONSCIOUSLY  into  union  with  your  Higher 
Self,  who  is  one  with  God.  You  will  then  hear  the  spoken 
words  that  will  answer  every  question.  Do  not  expect  this  at 
first;  but  hunt  for  the  answer  and  be  ready  to  recognize  it 
when  given. 


"I  have  had  many  psychic  experiences and  am 

now  sitting  in  a  circle  to  develop  into  a  spiritual  medium.    Will 
you  please  help  me  to  become  a  medium?" 


As  to  your  experiences,  you  are  evidently  developing  the 
ability  to  leave  the  physical  body  and  come  into  contact  with 
higher  planes.  And  right  here  there  is  a  great  need  for  caution ; 
for  the  denizens  of  the  astral  plane  are  of  many  sorts,  just  as 
there  are  entities  upon  the  physical  plane  of  many  sorts.  Un- 
less you  keep  faithful  watch  over  your  "  doors "  some  very 
undesirable  visitors  may  enter  your  aura  and  your  conscious- 
ness. To  be  what  is  known  as  a  "medium"  is  far  from  desir- 
able ;  for  as  the  term  is  generally  used  it  means  one  who  allows 
himself  to  become  negative  and  hands  over  his  body  to  some 
discarnate  entity  to  do  with  as  it  pleases.  Remember,  each 
person  is  held  accountable  and  absolutely  responsible  both  for 
his  mentality  and  individuality.  It  makes  no  difference 
whether,  through  your  negligence  or  ignorance,  you  vacate  the 
premises  and  another  enters  who  misuses  your  organism  and 
faculties,  YOU  ARE  STILL  RESPONSIBLE.  And  if  respons- 
ible, it  is  desirable  that  you  remain  in  full  command  and  able 
to  open  the  "doors"  to  those  whom  you  desire  to  enter  and 
close  them  to  all  others.  The  lesson  on  NARCOTICS,  ALCO- 
HOL AND  PSYCHICISM  will  give  you  the  reasons. 

Every  gift  unfolded,  however,  is  yours  to  use.  But  as  each 
one  adds  to  your  responsibility  you  must  be  careful  to  learn  all 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.         133 

about  the  laws  governing  such  gifts  that  you  may  use  them  only 
for  the  glory  of  God.  The  only  right  way  to  contact  the  higher 
planes  is  to  raise  the  vibrations  of  your  physical  body  and  its 
centers  through  a  spiritual  life,  loving  thoughts  and  helpful 
actions,  until  they  vibrate  in  harmony  with  the  key-note  of  the 
higher  planes  and  at  such  a  pitch  that  "no  evil  thing  shall  come 
nigh  thy  dwelling. ' ' 

There  are  two  ways  to  come  into  touch  with  the  higher 
planes.  The  first  is  by  vibrating  to  the  spiritual  note  of  love. 
To  do  this  you  must  be  clothed  with  spiritual  atoms.  You  thus 
come  into  harmony  with  the  spiritual  plane  and  become  aware 
of  spiritual  Beings  whom  you  are  temporarily  able  to  contact 
because  you  vibrate  in  harmony  with  Them. 

The  second  method  is  to  make  yourself  negative  and  allow 
your  physical  vibrations  to  be  so  stilled  that  many  physical 
atoms  are  easily  loosened  and  detached  and  your  vitality  is 
drawn  upon  by  ANY  astral — NOT  SPIRITUAL — entity  who 
may  wish  to  gather  them  and  clothe  himself  in  them  and  thus, 
temporarily,  vibrate  to  the  key-note  of  the  physical  plane  and 
become  temporarily  recognizable  on  that  plane. 

In  the  first  instance  the  whole  experience  will  be  uplifting 
and  the  spiritual  atoms  which  you  have  contacted  and  drawn 
into  your  body  will  rejuvenate  and  strengthen  it  and  will  ele- 
vate your  mind  and  advance  you  on  the  Path  of  Attainment. 
The  second  method  will  deplete  and  weaken  your  physical 
body,  enervate  your  nervous  system,  dull  your  mentality  and 
place  a  great  stumbling  block  in  your  path  if  it  does  not  lead 
to  insanity  or  moral  degeneration.  This  can  easily  be  verified 
by  following  the  history  of  the  majority  of  subjective  " medi- 
ums. "  They  almost  invariably  end  by  becoming  physical  or 
moral  wrecks  and  find  it  necessary  to  resort  to  stimulants ;  and 
the  stimulants,  by  opening  still  wider  the  "doors"  and  weak- 
ening still  more  the  control  over  the  centers,  but  shortens  the 
time  ere  the  person  is  ruined. 

The  first  method  is  a  spiritually  CONSTRUCTIVE  process, 
the  other  a  spiritually  DESTRUCTIVE  one.  If  you  understand 
these  facts  and  the  fact  that  most  entities  upon  the  astral  plane 
are  not  spiritual  beings,  but  merely  your  friends  with  their 
dense  and  outer  covering  or  garment  (the  physical  body)  re- 
moved, you  will  understand  the  danger  of  giving  yourself  up 
to  their  use. 

You  would  hesitate  to  lend  your  body  to   any  of  your 


134  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

friends  on  earth  to  do  with  as  they  pleased,  and  the  mere  pass- 
ing over  makes  no  difference  whatever;  they  are  able  to  use 
their  astral  faculties,  which  are  a  little  finer  than  the  physical; 
but  that  is  all.  They  are  just  as  spiritually  advanced  as  when 
on  earth;  know  just  as  much  of  the  laws  of  life,  but  no  more. 
Never  give  them  any  form  of  worship.  Simply  take  such  advice 
as  they  have  to  give  as  you  would  take  their  advice  when  upon 
earth,  i.  e.  subject  to  your  own  good  judgment  and  common- 
sense. 

You  can  always  be  sure  which  of  these  two  methods  has 
been  used  by  the  effect  on  the  psychics'  physical  body.  If  after 
the  experience  they  are  exhausted,  tired,  cross,  fretful,  nerv- 
ous and  uneasy,  sometimes  as  long  as  a  day  or  two,  you  can 
rest  assured  that  they  have  allowed  some  entity  to  absorb  their 
vital  atoms  and  have  allowed  their  physical  vitality  to  clothe 
that  entity  according  to  the  DESTRUCTIVE  method.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  you  find  that  their  physical  vitality  is  aug- 
mented ;  that  a  peaceful,  happy  and  vigorous  feeling  remains, 
even  for  days  after  the  experience;  that  life  seems  fuller,  trials 
easier  to  bear  and  love  more  abundant,  you  can  rest  assured 
that  they  have  risen  above  earthly  things  and  have  been 
clothed  upon  by  the  Spirit  and  have  been  enwrapped  in  spirit- 
ual atoms,  and  have  descended  into  the  astral  only  to  cull  its 
lessons  for  their  own  good  and  for  the  help  of  humanity. 

You  cannot  always  tell  which  of  the  above  methods  is  be- 
ing used  from  the  teachings  received  at  such  a  time ;  for  in 
both  cases  the  teachings  may  be  helpful ;  but  the  fact  remains 
that  the  first  method  is  harmful  to  both  the  medium  and  to  the 
entity  who  communicates.  It  is  more  a  question  of  HOW  the 
teachings  are  given  than  WHAT  is  given.  No  master  of  Wis- 
dom, or  anyone  connected  with  The  Great  White  Lodge,  will 
ever  give  out  teachings  or  even  communicate,  by  the  second  and 
destructive  method.  No  matter  who  the  communicating  entity 
may  CLAIM  to  be,  it  will  not  be  a  Master  of  Wisdom. 

The  first  or  constructive  method  is  the  form  of  spiritual 
communion  to  be  desired,  not  "mediumship."  But  do  not 
strive  even  for  this.  Let  it  be  a  NATURAL  GROWTH  result- 
ing from  a  life  filled  with  loving  thoughts  and  deeds. 

"I  would  like  the  House  of  the.  Interpreter  to  give  me  con- 
clusive evidence  that  man  is  composed  of  different  and  inde- 
pendent entities  called  respectively:  body,  life,  mind,  soul,  spirit. 
It  has  always  been  my  opinion  that  these  terms  designate  only 
different  attributes  of  the  organism."  O.  C. 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  DEVELOPMENT.         135 

You  ask  for  "conclusive  evidence,"  but  you  must  bear  in 
mind  that,  even  in  science,  what  is  " conclusive"  to  one  group 
of  scientists  is  not  to  another.  If  by  " conclusive  evidence" 
you  mean  that  you  wish  us  to  dissect  the  human  body  before 
your  eyes  and  pull  out  life  and  mind  and  Soul  as  a  nest  of 
Chinese  boxes  might  be  pulled  one  from  the  other,  we  frankly 
admit  that  we  cannot  do  it.  If,  however,  you  accept  as  con- 
clusive the  sort  of  evidence  that  science  accepts  in  regard  to 
imponderable  things,  we  can  give  you  conclusive  evidence.  For 
instance,  no  doubt  you  admit  that  you  have  a  brain,  altho  you 
have  never  seen,  weighed  or  measured  it,  nor  can  you  find  any- 
one who  has  ever  seen,  weighed  or  measured  it.  You  may  be- 
lieve that  you  have  a  mind,  but  your  own  materialistic  psychol- 
ogy says  that  you  have  nothing  but  automatic  reactions  to  ex- 
ternal and  internal  stimuli.  Science  says  that  you  cannot 
PROVE  that  you  exist,  or  that  anything  exists ;  that  all  things 
present  themselves  to  your  consciousness  by  their  effect  on 
your  sense  organs,  the  things  themselves,  possibly,  being  quite 
different  from  the  report  of  them  given  by  your  senses.  The 
evidence  that  man  is  a  complex  being  made  up  of  different  en- 
tities must  be  judged  by  the  manner  in  which  your  conscious- 
ness is  affected,  and  hence  can  be  conclusive  only  to  yourself. 
No  materialistic  "proof"  can  be  given.  There  are  those,  how- 
ever, who  are  willing  to  take  the  word  of  Those  who  have 
passed  beyond  the  human  stage  and  KNOW.  This,  of  course, 
is  not  proof  to  you  unless  certain  of  your  sense  organs  can  re- 
spond to  Their  message. 

We  would  not  attempt  to  prove  to  you  that  "man  is  com- 
posed of  different  and  independent  entities";  for,  as  body,  life, 
mind,  Soul  and  Spirit  manifest  on  the  physical  plane  they  are 
not  wholly  independent,  but  closely  interrelated.  When  the 
life  leaves  the  body  you  still  have  that  you  call  "the  human 
organism,"  but  its  so-called  "attributes"  have  disappeared; 
the  mind  may  depart  and  yet  leave  the  organism  and  the  life 
functioning  apparently  as  well  as  before,  as  seen  in  idiots  and 
the  insane ;  the  Soul  and  the  Spirit  may  also  be  absent,  yet  the 
mind  and  the  life  may  continue  to  function  through  the  intact 
"human  organism."  If  man  were  merely  an  automatic  organ- 
ism with  "attributes,"  wherever  you  found  the  organism  you 
would  find  the  attributes.  But,  as  v/e  have  seen  above,  any  one 
or  all  of  the  attributes  may  be  absent. 

Our  teaching  is  that  the  Soul  is  the  immortal,  reincar- 


136  LETTERS   FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

nating  Ego,  while  the  Spirit  is  the  universal  Breath  of  Divinity 
which  animates  the  Soul  or  Ego  just  as  the  Breath  of  Life  ani- 
mates the  physical  body.  The  mind  is  a  dual  expression  of  the 
Soul,  consisting  of  a  Higher  (spiritual)  and  a  lower  (brain) 
mind,  the  lower  being  but  a  reflection  in  physical  matter  of  the 
Real  Mind  which  is  Spiritual  Self-consciousness.  Thus  the 
REAL  I  is  an  immortal  Soul  having  finite  Spiritual  Self-con- 
sciousness, overshadowed  and  animated  by  or  filled  with  Infi- 
nite Spirit.  This  Real  Self  is  spoken  of  as  the  Higher  Self  or 
the  Father-in-heaven  of  the  different  religions,  and  manifest 
on  earth  through  a  vehicle  composed  of  a  physical  body  and  its 
astral  counterpart,  and  a  reflection  of  the  Spiritual  Mind  act- 
ing as  Desire,  all  animated  by  Prana  or  life-force. 

A  good  way  to  distinguish  the  Real  Self  is  to  eliminate 
everything  that  can  be  considered  as  a  possession,  i.  e.  my  body, 
my  mind,  my  life  etc.  You  cannot  say  "my  Spirit "  any  more 
than  a  sponge  resting  on  the  bed  of  the  ocean  can  say  "my 
water1';  for  it  is  said  that,  could  the  sponge  last  long  enough, 
every  drop  of  water  in  the  ocean  would  pass  through  it,  as  well 
as  through  every  other  sponge.  To  say  "my  Spirit"  is  to  limit 
Spirit  which  is  Infinite.  The  Spirit  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters  in  the  beginning  and  must  ever  move  in  and  through  and 
over  all  creations.  It  is  the  Breath  of  Life  of  the  Real  Self. 
(Published  in  THE  HOUSE  OP  THE  INTERPRETER). 

"Tell  me,  brother,  how  best  to  cultivate  and  make  strong 
the  Spiritual  Will."    An  Aspirant,  Ohio. 

You  can  strengthen  your  Spiritual  Will  by  not  trying. 
Just  endeavor  to  interest  yourself  in  spiritual  matters,  think 
pure  thoughts  and  do  kind  deeds.  Read  books  of  an  uplift- 
ing character.  Study  them  not  only  with  your  head  (intellect), 
but  strive  to  enter  into  their  deeper  meaning  with  your  heart 
(intuition).  Know  well  that  no  matter  how  lofty  a  philosophy 
or  how  good  a  lesson,  unless  it  brings  to  your  individual  Soul 
some  practical  application,  something  that  you  can  work  into 
your  daily  life,  that  philosophy  or  lesson  is  of  no  account  to 
you.  You  cannot  force  yourself  to  will  what  you  do  not  desire; 
but  you  can  cultivate  a  desire  for  spirituality.  And  desire, 
being  a  lower  note  of  the  same  octave,  will  of  necessity  awaken 
Will.  (Published  in  THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  INTERPRETER). 


SPIRITUAL  GROWTH  AND  jbEvfeLOPkENf .         137 

"If  a  psychic  receives  a  message  given  in  the  first  person, 
i.  e.,  if  he  is  told  to  do  certain  things,  perhaps  a  great  work  for 
humanity,  and  if  with  the  message  there  comes  a  wonderful 
promise,  I  have  been  told  that  he  only  overheard  a  message 
given  to  humanity  at  large,  and  that  only  his  poor,  weak,  human 
egotism  makes  him  apply  the  message  and  the  promise  to  him- 
self. What  is  your  teaching  on  this  point?"  Occult  Student, 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

The  Elder  Brothers  of  humanity,  the  great  Masters  of  Wis- 
dom, into  whose  hands  the  evolution  of  the  Race  is  entrusted, 
are  continually  sending  forth  the  cry  for  helpers.  "The  harvest 
truly  is  great,  but  the  laborers  are  few ;  * '  for  They  can  work  on 
the  earth  plane  only  through  human  agencies.  With  the  cry 
goes  the  promise  of  sure  reward  for  all  who  hear  and  obey. 
The  answer  to  your  question  is  plainly  given  in  Revelation 
XXII 17:  "And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And  him 
that  heareth  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And 
whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely/' 

None  can  hear  unless  their  vibrations  are  keyed  to  the  note 
of  the  call.  When  this  takes  place  they  hear  the  cry  because 
it  comes  to  them  and  enters  their  heart  and  understanding. 
What  is  everyone's  business  is  seldom  attended  to;  but  he  who 
hears,  and  understands  his  duty,  to  him  does  the  message  apply 
personally.  Many  reform  movements  appeal  to  the  sympathy 
of  all,  but  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  pass  by  on  the  other 
side.  The  one  who  hears  the  cry  to  help  humanity  and  heeds  it, 
even  if  he  be  only  one  of  the  humblest  of  the  Samaritans,  will 
stop  and  bind  up  the  wounds  of  the  helpless  and  accept  the 
work  as  his  own.  To  every  one  who  thus  hears,  the  promise  is 
given.  When  the  cry,  "Come"  is  heard,  instead  of  waiting  for 
some  one  more  worthy  to  answer  first,  the  reply  should  be, 
"Here  am  I.  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth." 

If  the  Samaritan  has  done  the  work  in  a  grandiose  manner 
to  be  seen  of  men,  or  had  he  refused  to  allow  anyone  else  to 
participate  in  that  work  for  fear  of  losing  the  worldly  honor 
for  the  deed,  he  would  have  been  acting  from  "human  ego- 
tism." And,  no  matter  how  faithfully  he  did  the  work,  it  would 
bring  only  bitterness  and  sorrow,  and  he  could  not  claim  the 
promised  reward.  He  could  not  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely, 
because  by  the  manner  of  doing  the  work  he  would  prove  that 
he  had  not  yet  overcome  human  egotism;  and  the  promise  is 
"unto  him  that  overcometh." 


138  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

When  a  psychic  hears  such  a  call  let  him  or  her  at  once  de- 
termine to  set  about  preparing  himself  or  herself  to  obey  the 
call  in  true  humility  and  without  false  modesty,  which  is  the 
outgrowth  of  egotism.  (See  lesson  on  MEMORY  OF  PAST 
LIVES.)  (Published  in  THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  INTER- 
PRETER). 


PART    X. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 

"Never  utter  these  words:  'I  do  not  know  this — therefore 
it  is  false.'  One  must  study  to  know,  know  to  understand,  un- 
derstand to  judge."  Narada. 


140  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

April  27th,  1908. 

"I  have  regarded  the  human  beings  of  today  as  the  de- 
scendants of  a  species  of  human  animals,  if  one  may  call  them 
so Am  I  correct?" 

Your  query  as  to  the  descent  of  man  from  an  human  ani- 
mal can  only  be  touched  upon  here.  For  fuller  information  on 
this  point  we  refer  you  to  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINE,  Vol.  I, 
where  you  will  find  all  about  the  different  stages  of  man  and 
about  the  apes  etc.  If  you  do  not  have  access  to  the  un- 
abridged work  in  your  public  library,  we  would  advise  you  to 
get  the  abridged  edition. 

The  subject  is  too  long  for  a  letter,  but,  briefly  stated,  man 
descended  from  the  gods  who  breathed  into  evolved  animal 
forms  the  Divine  Breath  of  Life  (GENESIS  II-7),  that  through 
these  animal  bodies  he  might  gain  experience  on  the  lowest  or 
earth  plane.  The  task  given  to  each  Soul  therefore,  is  to  re- 
deem the  physical  atoms  with  which  it  clothes  itself  and, 
through  the  experience  thus  gained,  evolve  back  to  the  starting 
point  plus  the  experience  and  knowledge  gained.  Redemption 
means  the  redemption  of  all  the  atoms  of  all  the  various  bodies 
that  the  Fathers  (Pitris — the  "gods"  or  the  Fathers-in-heaven) 
have  given  in  your  keeping.  By  redeeming  your  own  body 
that  much  of  the  earth  is  uplifted  and  spiritualized.  And  that 
is  the  only  way  the  earth  can  be  redeemed;  for,  every  vibration 
of  spiritual  force  to  which  the  human  monad  responds,  sends  an 
answering  wave  of  force  through  the  whole  cosmos.  Thus,  by 
man  and  through  man,  shall  the  earth  be  redeemed. 

Therefore  you  are  quite  right  in  saying  that  circumstances 
neither  make  nor  mar  the  spiritual  growth  of  man.  For  the 
moment  he  identifies  himself,  even  imperfectly,  with  his 
Father-in-heaven — his  very  personal  and  individual  god — he 
becomes  master  of  his  conditions,  ruler  over  circumstance  and 
Savior  of  his  bodies  and  his  animal  nature — in  a  word,  is  Lord 
of  his  Kingdom.  Then  he  literally  sits  down  at  the  right  hand 
of  his  Father,  and  his  enemies  (his  desires  and  animal  appe- 
tites) are  his  foot-stool  and  are  the  servants  of  his  will. 

Reincarnation  is  the  only  logical  unravelling  of  the  mys- 
tery of  life,  and  a  person  is  blind  and  wandering  in  the  dark 
until  he  finds  this  life-line.  Then  at  once  all  begins  to  shape  it- 
self, and  in  the  fulness  of  time  all  the  crooked  places  are  made 
straight  and  life  unfolds  like  the  pages  of  a  beautiful  book. 
We  never  mind  bearing  trials  when  we  know  that  they  are 


MISCELLANEOUS.  141 

merely  correcting  mistakes  made  in  a  past  life,  or  else  learning 
needed  lessons  in  this.  Trials  are  not  given  as  punishments; 
but  as  the  only  means  of  making  us  learn  the  lessons  that  will 
fit  us  to  take  our  real  places  at  the  right  hand  of  God-the- 
Father,  and  to  gain  a  greater  realization  of  His  nearness  and 
help  while  here  below.  You  have  the  correct  attitude  of  wait- 
ing for  more  light  instead  of  denouncing  what,  for  the  time,  is 
beyond  your  comprehension. 

June  17th,   1908. 

"I  was  delighted  with  some  of  the  teachings  of 

and  was  therefore  very  glad  that  I  was  going  to  meet  her 
personally.  But  no  sooner  did  I  lay  my  eyes  upon  her  and  hear 

her  speak,  than  I  felt  sorely  disappointed Finally  she 

repelled  me  to  such  an  extent  that  I  actually  felt  aversion  to 

her Her  lectures  about appear  to  me  simply 

ridiculous, it  simply  seems  absurd,  nay,  childish  non- 
sense. Some  of  the  articles  in  the for  June,  espe- 
cially one  by  Mr seem  to  me  ridiculous  and  rather  sad. 

Owing  to  these  circumstances  I  am  sometimes  beset  with  doubts 
as  to  the  truthfulness  of  the teachings." 

There  is  a  strong  tendency  on  your  part,  which  it  will  be 
well  for  you  to  look  in  the  face  and  recognize  for  what  it  is,  to 
judge  with  human  judgment  the  acts  and  teachings  of  others. 
The  Christ,  through  Jesus,  the  man,  said:  " Judge  not  that  ye 
be  not  judged.  For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be 
judged  ;M  meaning  that  if  you  bring  your  sister  or  brother  up 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  the  wisdom  of  the  mere  worldly 
conception  of  what  is  "nonsense,  ridiculous,'*  etc.,  you  yourself 
must  be  content  with  and  must  expect  to  be  judged  from  no 
higher  standpoint.  You  must  make  your  life,  your  physical 
appearance  and  your  words  conform  absolutely  to  the  outer 
letter  of  the  law — failure  must  mean  condemnation  to  you.  Try 
to  realize  that  you  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  failure  or  suc- 
cess of  anyone  but  your  own  personality,  and  that  one  lesson 
alone  stands  out  plainly  and  distinctly  so  that  "He  who  runs 
may  read"  i.  e.  "Be  ye  not  conformed  to  this  world,  but  be  ye 
transformed  by  the  renewal  of  your  minds. ' '  This  means  that 
we  must  renew  our  minds  by  changing  our  ways  of  thinking. 
Instead  of  looking  for  the  mote  in  the  eye  of  your  sister  or 
brother,  seek  diligently  for  the  beam  that  is  in  your  own  eye. 

You  will  never  find  Truth  in  any  teachings  if  Truth,  to 
you,  depends  upon  the  perfection  of  the  instrument  through 
which  that  Truth  is  expressed.  Truth  confronts  you  on  every 


142  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

side.  Therefore,  dear  brother,  learn  to  seek  Truth  for  Truth's 
sake.  Look  for  it  among  the  stubble  and  muck  of  life  and  in 
the  dark  places  where  humanity  crawls  in  filth;  look  for  it  hid- 
den under  the  mountains  of  selfishness  and  self-sufficiency  of 
teachers;  seek  for  it  as  a  Jewel  of  Great  Price  that  has  been 
lost;  for  you  may  find  the  Jewel  where  you  least  expect  it. 
But  first  rise  up  and  sweep  your  own  house  diligently. 

No  Master,  or  even  a  Savior,  can  dispel  your  doubts;  for 
they  are  the  natural  result  of  your  attitude.  Until  you  learn  the 
lesson  of  separating  Truth  from  personality  your  doubts  will 
never  be  set  at  rest.  Consider  carefully  the  saying  found  in 
I  Cor.  II 14:  "But  the  natural  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God:  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him:  neither  can 
he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  All 
this  means,  dear  brother,  that  you  must  cultivate  the  power  of 
spiritual  discernment  and  not  allow  anything  to  turn  you  aside 
from  Truth.  Truth  often  comes  in  most  repulsive  disguises, 
and  it  is  a  test  to  the  Soul  to  recognize  it  and  separate  the 
grain  from  the  husks,  not  swallowing  them  to  get  the  grain. 
You  might  as  well  swallow  a  walnut  whole  because  the  kernel 
is  sweet  and  wholesome.  Do  as  you  would  with  any  material 
thing  presented  to  you :  crack  the  nut,  no  matter  how  black  and 
repellant  the  shell,  and  extract  the  Kernel. 

April   2nd,    1908. 

"Where  does  imagination  spring  from?  Does  it  entirely 
belong  to  the  subconscious,  or  to  a  sort  of  central  point  be- 
tween the  soul  and  the  subconscious?  Why  does  it  attack  me 
and  carry  me  away  into  the  future  tense,  offering  pessimism? 
Is  the  reason  why  it  affects  me  so  strongly  due  to  my  being 
under  a  deep  earthy  sign?  it  belonging  to  the  moon?" 

Imagination  is  a  function  of  the  Soul.  It  is  the  power  de- 
rived from  the  Higher  Self  for  the  purpose,  through  deliber- 
ately willing  it,  of  creating  upon  the  mental  plane.  Pessimism 
has  nothing  in  common  with  it,  nor  does  the  subconscious  con- 
trol it.  But  happy  is  the  man  who  has  the  subconscious  under 
the  control  of  the  imagination;  for  it  is  by  this  power  that  the 
true  image  of  the  Real  Self  is  created,  and  by  it  is  the  link  be- 
tween the  personality  and  the  individuality  made  strong. 

Beware  of  confusing  imagination  with  fancy  or  idle  dream- 
ing. Fancy  is  born  of  the  rhythm  of  the  vibrations  of  the  sub- 
conscious, and  is  either  pessimistic,  fearful  or  egotistical  or  any 
other  thing  which,  by  being  long  indulged  in,  has  been  able  to 


MISCELLANEOUS.  143 

set  up  a  vibratory  center  in  the  subconscious.  Such  a  center 
win  continue  to  vibrate  in  the  same  key  until  the  Higher  Will 
comes  in  and,  through  the  power  of  imagination,  changes  the 
rate  of  its  vibration.  The  sign  of  your  nativity  cannot  affect 
this  power ;  but  the  tendency  to  pessimism  is  no  doubt  strength- 
ened by  the  planetary  influence.  Do  not  get  confused — it  is 
fancy  that  tends  to  pessimism.  By  proper  use  of  imagination 
you  must  impart  a  new  vibration  to  the  subconscious.  Deter- 
mine to  create  new  images  of  happiness  and  success ;  and  with 
all  the  power  of  Will,  MAKE  the  subconscious  respond.  Never 
give  in  to  the  old  vibrations.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
lessons  for  you  to  learn  in  this  incarnation. 

April  20th,   1908. 

"Without  being  impatient  for  advanced  work  or  intellectual 
diversions  I  should  be  greatly  interested  to  learn  the  occult 
significance  and  place  of  music  and  geometry.  'God  geome- 
trizes'  has  always  been  a  dark  saying  to  me, — the  only  sense 
in  which  I  can  comprehend  it  being  that  certain  numbers  play 
an  important  part  in  the  manifested  universe, — like  3  in  the 
fundamental  constituents  of  the  universe,  and  in  the  modes  of 
intellect,  the  dimensions  of  space,  etc.  Or  like  the  number  7 
in  the  tones  of  the  octave,  or  in  the  colors  of  the  spectrum,  etc." 

You  have  a  correct  idea  of  the  saying,  "God  geometrizes, " 
and  study  along  that  line  will  open  vistas  of  unexpected  inter- 
est. Take  geometry  to  include  not  only  form  but  number, 
color  and  sound  as  well.  This  makes  the  square — the  symbol 
of  all  manifestation  that  pertains  to  earth.  Man  is  composed 
of  seven  principles,  four  lower — the  square — and  three  higher 
—the  triangle.  (See  THE  SECRET  DOCTRINE,  Vol.  II,  p  625 
et  seq.)  Study  the  formation  of  crystals,  even  snow  or  frost 
crystals,  and  you  will  at  once  see  the  geometrical  forms  that 
vapor  takes  upon  crystallizing.  Also  look  up  the  common  ex- 
periment in  physics  of  covering  a  metal  plate  with  fine  sand 
and  then  vibrating  the  plate  with  a  bow,  and  note  how  every 
different  note  or  tone  produces  a  characteristic  geometrical 
figure  in  the  sand  on  the  plate.  All  forces  (vibrations)  when 
expressing  in  (i.  e.  condensed  into)  matter  act  along  geomet- 
rical lines.  The  designs  produced  are  not  haphazard  forma- 
tions but  are  the  mathematical  expressions  of  certain  thought- 
forms  (vibrations)  from  the  higher  planes.  Every  material 
form,  from  crystal  to  man,  is  the  mathematical,  and  indeed  the 
only  possible,  expression  of  certain  combinations  of  vibrations 
(ideas)  upon  the  higher  planes,  the  universe  as  a  whole  being 


144  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

an  expressed  thought-form  of  the  Absolute.  Thoughts,  being 
forces,  must  express  along  geometrical  lines  that  are  mathe- 
matically exact. 

A  deep  study  of  plant  life  will  convince  you  that  the  form, 
number  and  color  of  every  leaf  and  flower  expresses  itself  also 
in  sound  and,  were  your  ears  attuned  to  Nature's  voice,  you 
would  find  each  perfect  flower  a  symphony  expressing  the  char- 
acteristics of  the  particular  plant  to  which  it  belonged.  More- 
over, for  those  who  can  read,  Nature  is  an  open  book  and  there 
are  "Tongues  in  trees,  books  in  running  brooks,  sermons  in 
stones M;  for  the  form,  color  and  number  of  everything  that 
grows  tells  man  the  inner  meaning  of  the  plant  together  with 
its  uses  for  man.  For  those  who  study  her  Nature  speaks  with 
no  uncertain  voice.  "Who  hath  ears  to  hear  let  him  hear." 

June    21st,    1908. 

"I  will  say  that  by  studying  the  papers  you  have  sent  me 
I  find  myself  comprehending  truths  that  I  did  not  realize  before. 
I  find  myself  getting  nearer,  and  realize  enough  to  feel  confi- 
dence in  the  teachings  given  and  to  have  no  doubts  as  to  their 
source.  They  attract  me  as  a  magnet,  and  are  drawing  me 
nearer  all  the  while.  In  connection  with  this  I  wish  to  ask  if 
it  is  right  and  proper  to  look  forward  to,  and  bend  my  efforts 
in  that  direction,  and  try  to  attain  to,  the  conditions  that  will 
make  an  immediate  return  possible  after  passing  out  of  this 
body?" 

We  are  happy  to  hear  that  your  brain  consciousness  is 
registering  the  nearness  of  your  Teachers ;  for  it  is  a  living  re- 
ality. But,  until  you  could  sense  it,  it  would  be  mere  words  to 
you.  If  you  were  stone  blind  and  deaf,  you  might  be  in  the 
midst  of  ravishing  beauty  and  close  to  strains  of  heavenly 
music;  but  until  your  eyes  were  opened  and  your  ears  un- 
stopped you  could  not  well  perceive  the  beauty  and  harmony 
that  surrounded  you. 

As  to  your  question  about  immediate  reincarnation,  that  is 
a  matter  which  is  under  your  own  control  if  there  is  a  reason 
great  enough  to  make  the  sacrifice  necessary.  It  may  be  that 
your  Higher  Self  is  impressing  upon  you  the  fact  that  such  a 
return  will  take  place,  as  a  warning  to  you  to  make  every 
preparation.  Remember  that  there  is  always  a  Karma  that 
must,  of  necessity,  be  worked  out  on  the  physical  plane ;  but  as 
the  time  of  ex-carnation  is  a  time  of  assimilation  and  growth — 
a  time  for  digesting  the  experience  gained — the  preparation  for 
the  loss  of  this  period  by  immediate  reincarnation  should  be  a 


MISCELLANEOUS.  145 

careful  assimilation  while  here.  That  is,  make  a  great  effort  to 
go  slow  and  digest  and  assimilate  all  experiences.  Learn  to 
seek  in  every  event  its  inner  meaning  and  bearing  on  life.  Seek 
its  why  and  wherefore.  Try  to  chew  slowly  and  digest  as  you 
go  along.  The  danger  in  an  immediate  reincarnation  (which  is 
by  no  means  as  rare  as  some  suppose)  is  that  the  astral  body 
does  not  have  time  to  separate  from  the  body  of  desire,  and, 
being  full  of  vigor,  it  attaches  itself  to  the  newly  formed  astral 
body  and  becomes  a  " Dweller  on  the  Threshold"  much  more 
tangible,  that  is  more  dense  and  earthly,  than  the  ordinary 
' 'Dweller"  which  all  must  face.  In  such  exceptional  cases 
this  dense  "Dweller"  is  so  close  to  the  reincarnating  Ego  that 
it  becomes  a  haunting  presence  throughout  life,  and  any  old, 
unconnected  faults  and  tendencies  of  the  past  are  apt  to  be  in- 
tensified rather  than  corrected  in  the  new  incarnation.  Unless 
all  this  is  understood  in  a  practical  way  and  prepared  for,  very 
little  advance  can  be  made  in  such  an  incarnation,  the  two  life- 
periods  becoming  like  one  physical  expression  without  time  for 
rest  and  assimilation  between.  It  would  be  much  like  eating 
your  breakfast  and  immediately  eating  your  dinner  to  save 
time  at  noon. 

There  is  a  way,  however,  FOR  THOSE  WHO  KNOW— a 
way  which  the  wise  and  determined  can  find — that  will  pro- 
long one  life-period  over  the  period  usually  occupied  by  two  or 
more,  if  there  is  work  of  such  importance  that  it  demands  con- 
tinued presence  on  the  physical  plane.  Eugene  Sue's  fictitious 
tale  of  THE  WANDERING  JEW,  and  many  other  tales  of  sim- 
ilar character,  is  founded  upon  a  physiological  and  psycholog- 
ical possibility  that  has  been  demonstrated  more  than  once. 
But  it  is  well  to  consider  the  suffering  and  loneliness  entailed, 
unless  you  have  gained  Wisdom  and  Mastery  ere  experiment- 
ing. It  might  be  of  advantage  to  your  spiritual  growth  IF  the 
effort  made  you  more  diligent  and  better  prepared  to  gain  such 
mastery  over  the  desire-body  while  in  the  flesh  as  to  leave  it 
with  very  little  strength  to  haunt  a  new  life,  or  to  gain  Mastery 
NOW  so  that  even  passing  out  would  be  unnecessary.  As  you 
say,  you  are  no  coward  and  no  drone.  Therefore,  we  say,  if 
you  are  strongly  impressed  to  take  this  path,  go  forward  in  the 
power  and  might  of  the  Spirit.  DARE— DO— KEEP  SILENT. 

June  22nd,   1908. 

"I  cannot  report  much  progress,  I  am  disgusted  with  my- 
self  I  have  sold  hares  to medical  school!  and 


146  LETTERS   FROM   THE   TEACHER. 

pets  at  that!!  I  always  keep  them  on  my  place  for  eating,  but 
to  sell  them  TO  BE  TORTURED!  for  a  very  little  money!  I 
simply  feel  degraded  in  my  own  eyes.  And  you  see  I  am  almost 
a  hopeless  case,  for  anyone  who  would  do  that  surely  is  not 
fit  for  the  Kingdom.  They  tell  me  they  are  etherized  but  I 
do  not  believe  it,  as  that  would  defeat  their  own  ends.  They 
tell  me  it  is  for  'the  benefit  of  science,'  but  that  is  not  what  I 
sell  them  for!" 

We  have  received  your  letter  of  self-depreciation  and  we 
must  tell  you,  dear  sister,  that  self-depreciation,  without  a 
determined  effort  to  overcome  the  faults  you  depreciate,  will 
soon  degenerate  into  morbid  self-pity  rather  than  self-respect 
and  proper  assertiveness.  When  you  know  a  thing  is  wrong 
never  give  yourself  a  chance  to  make  an  excuse,  but  hold  the 
whip-hand  and  keep  the  reins  steady  until  the  obstreperous 
self  goes  along  the  path  marked  out. 

The  Master  Jesus  said:  "It  must  be  that  these  things 
come  into  the  world,  but  woe  unto  him  by  whom  they  come, ' ' 
and  this  is  true  of  all  suffering.  The  poor  animals  which  suffer 
that  humanity  may  be  benefited  are  not  given  a  chance  to  make 
the  suffering  a  vicarious  atonement  altho  the  suffering  pushes 
them  forward  in  their  evolution.  Yet,  since  it  is  forced  upon 
them  and,  from  their  point  of  view,  is  the  result  of  cruelty,  it 
leaves  its  imprint  upon  the  matter  of  their  subconsciousness. 
As  this  matter  is  taken  up  again  and  again  until  it  is  finally 
redeemed  at  the  end  of  its  evolution  by  coming  under  the  self- 
conscious  dominion  of  an  human  Ego,  this  cruelty  will  mani- 
fest after  its  kind  all  along  the  path  of  evolution.  No  matter 
what  sort  of  a  body  such  atoms  may  be  incorporated  in,  the 
sense  of  cruelty  and  suffering  unjustly. caused  will  endeavor 
to  work  out  in  an  effort  to  adjust  the  balance,  and  will  prey 
upon  humanity  in  some  way  and  give  back  suffering  for  suf- 
fering. This  is  one  of  the  chief  ways  in  which  the  law  of 
Karma  works.  There  must  be  an  adjustment.  If  the  pendulum 
swings  too  violently  to  the  left  it  must  swing  correspondingly 
to  the  right  until  from  the  very  force  of  extremes,  a  balance 
is  attained.  It  makes  little  difference  as  far  as  the  Law  of 
Retribution  works  out,  if  the  doctors  do  think  they  are  justi- 
fied and  that  a  corresponding  good  will  result  to  the  human 
race.  There  is  but  one  law,  namely,  all  things  reproduce  after 
their  kind. 

There  are  always  two  effects  to  every  cause  or  impulse 
set  up;  the  out-going  vibration  of  the  initial  impulse  and  the 


MISCELLANEOUS.  147 

return  wave  which  comes  back  to  the  point  of  departure.  You 
can  easily  prove  this  by  casting  a  small  stone  into  a  still, 
smooth  pond;  for  there  is  but  one  Law  of  Vibration.  The  vi- 
brations (ripples)  will  go  out  from  the  point  where  the  stone 
was  cast  in  ever  widening  circles;  but  when  they  reach  the 
boundary  of  the  pond  they  will  return  to  the  exact  spot  from 
which  they  started.  This  is  an  illustration  of  the  absolute 
and  IMPERSONAL  action  of  the  Law  of  Karma.  Through  the 
suffering  of  the  animals  the  doctors  may  find  certain  appar- 
ently successful  ways  of  helping  humanity;  but  the  return 
wave  will  bring  to  humanity  more  widespread  suffering,  cru- 
elty and  inhumanity,  and  will  react  especially  upon  those  who 
had  anything,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  do  with  the  ini- 
tial cruelty.  In  the  epidemics  of  disease  that  sweep  over  the 
country  some  escape,  some  recover  and  some  succumb;  but  all 
must  bear  the  Karma  of  the  diseased  conditions  in  the  earth's 
aura:  it  is  the  world's  Karma.  The  ones  who  succumb  are 
the  ones  who  have  brought  to  themselves  a  personal  Karma 
by  being  instrumental  in  sowing,  in  past  lives,  conditions  that 
result  in  disease;  those  who  escape  probably  did  nothing  to- 
ward creating  such  conditions.  Some  have  the  disease  in  a 
mild  form  and  some  have  it  severely;  but  all  in  exact  propor- 
tion to  the  sowing.  "  Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall 
he  also  reap."  The  harvest  may  not  ripen  for  ages;  but  it 
will  be  exact  and  just  when  it  comes. 

Animals,  altho  drugged  motionless,  suffer  far  more  than 
human  beings  under  the  same  conditions,  because  an  human 
being  when  under  an  anesthetic  at  once  leaves  the  earth  plane 
and,  necessarily,  the  suffering,  and,  unless  exceedingly  earthly, 
is  taken  care  of  on  the  higher  planes,  often  receiving  most 
wonderful  lessons  and  experiencing  the  greatest  happiness. 
But  the  poor  animal,  not  having  a  Higher  Self  and  working 
out  its  evolution  entirely  on  the  physical  and  lower  astral 
planes,  has  nothing  to  compensate  it  for  the  cruel  loss  of  its 
birthright,  i.  e.  a  normal,  healthy  existence  on  the  earth  plane. 
Hence  its  whole  evolution  is  retarded.  As  the  animal  can  go 
no  higher,  the  anesthetic  merely  removes  its  consciousness 
from  the  physical  to  the  lower  astral— the  astral  body  as  you 
know  being  the  seat  of  sensation — where  it  is  fully  conscious 
of  all  that  is  going  on  and  where  it  experiences  all  the  suffer- 
ing altho  unable  to  express  it  through  its  paralyzed  body.  The 


148  LETTERS  FROM   THE  TEACHER. 

doctors  are  no  doubt  sincere  in  thinking  that  the  anesthetized 
animals  do  not  suffer;  but  it  is  only  because  they  are  ignorant 
of  what  is  taking  place  upon  the  astral  plane. 

July    13th,   1908. 
"Your  kind  letter  concerning  hares  was  read  eagerly.    Am 

following  your  advice  and  have  tonight  written  the 

laboratory  that  I  cannot  supply  them  any  more.  My  husband 
takes  it  easier  than  I  thought  he  would.  I  am  very  much 
happier.  Thank  you  many,  many  times  for  telling  me  the 
TRUTH." 

"I  am  not  at  all  conversant  with  Theosophy,  and  am  puz- 
zled by  the  reference  to  'the  incoming  Sixth  Sub-race.'  Perhaps 
you  will  kindly  explain." 

The  subject  is  too  vast  to  be  more  than  hinted  at  in  this 
column,  but,  briefly,  the  Secret  Doctrine  teaches  that  the  hu- 
manity of  this  globe  manifests  in  seven  Great  Races  called 
Root-Races.  Each  Root-Race  is  composed  of  seven  successive 
sub-races,  and  the  sub-races  of  nations,  tribes,  etc.  All  white 
and  red  peoples  belong  to  the  Aryan  or  Fifth  Root-Race,  and 
most  of  the  Western  peoples  belong  to  the  fifth  sub-race  of  the 
Aryan.  The  yellow  races  of  the  East  are  the  remnants  of  the 
last  sub-races  of  the  Atlantean  or  Fourth  Root-Race  which 
perished  as  a  Race  with  the  sinking  of  the  continent  of  Atlan- 
tis. The  sixth  sub-race  of  the  Aryan  will  evolve  upon  the 
American  continent,  and  even  now  has  begun.  (See  lesson 
on  THE  SIXTH  ANGEL.)  (This  letter  was  published  in  " The 
House  of  the  Interpreter.") 

March  3rd,  1908. 
"If  people    choose   their   next   environment  why  do   they 

dislike  it  so? What  can  one  do  to  prevent  having  to 

come  back  again?" 

The  Soul  does  not  choose  incarnation  from  the  standpoint 
of  what  will  give  the  most  pleasure,  but  from  the  standpoint 
of  what  environment  will  give  the  Soul  the  best  discipline  and 
which  will  best  teach  it  the  lessons  most  needed  to  bring  it 
into  at-one-ment  with  the  Father-in-heaven.  Generally  the 
discipline  the  Soul  most  needs  is  that  which  is  irksome  to  the 
personality,  and  it  is  difficult  for  the  Soul  to  make  the  per- 
sonality understand  that  the  incarnation  is  for  the  purpose 
of  overcoming  some  particular  trait  and  conquering  the  condi- 
tions in  which  it  was  made. 

The  only  way  to  prevent  coming  back  again  is  to  learn 


MISCELLANEOUS.  149 

all  the  lessons,  gain  all  the  experience  of  the  earth  life,  so 
that  when  the  Soul  has  completed  its  earthly  evolution  there 
is  nothing  left  for  it  to  experience.  Even  then  one  would 
have  to  be  very  sure  that,  having  gained  all  experience,  he 
had  also  stilled  all  compassion  for  humanity  so  that  he  would 
riot  be  tempted  to  come  back  to  help  those  who  were  still 
struggling  with  sin  and  ignorance. 

April    14th. 

"In  your  lesson  on  Purity  you  say,  'The  lower  animals 
having  no  spark  of  the  Divine  dwelling  within  them/  etc.  As 
I  hold  that  they  are  in  every  way  as  Divine  as  myself,  I  am 
somewhat  in  a  quandary." 

The  exception  you  take  to  our  statement  that  "the  lower 
animals  having  no  spark  of  the  Divine  dwelling  in  them"  can 
be  readily  understood  by  a  knowledge  of  the  Law.  While  this 
subject  is  too  great  to  be  properly  treated  in  a  letter  we  will 
try  to  give  you  an  outline,  altho  some  of  the  statements  are 
more  in  the  nature  of  hints  and  without  further  explanation 
are  bound  to  be  more  or  less  misleading. 

In  brief,  the  Spark  of  Divinity  or  the  reincarnating  Ego 
clothes  itself  in  atoms  belonging  to  each  kingdom  successively, 
mineral,  vegetable  and  animal.  It  is  always  the  same  Divine 
Spark,  but  when  manifesting  in  the  lower  kingdoms  it  is  so 
disseminated  through  them  that  it  is  not  individualized  in 
any  one  expression;  for  no  one  vehicle  is  capable  of  expressing 
it.  In  passing  through  the  degrees  of  the  animal  kingdom  from 
the  lowest  forms  to  the  highest,  say  from  an  earth  worm  (you 
could,  of  course,  go  much  lower)  to  a  horse  or  dog,  its  mani- 
festation gradually  condenses  or  tends  to  become  individual- 
ized. That  is,  while  the  One  Life  animates  the  earth  worm  it 
takes  a  great  mass  of  such  worms  to  express  even  rudimentary 
animal  consciousness,  and  no  one  worm  can  be  said  to  have  even 
an  animal  soul.  The  lower  animal  kingdom  is  animated  by  an 
animal  soul,  of  course,  but  it  would  take  about  all  the  earth 
worms  there  are  to  express  an  animal  soul. 

As  animal  life  advances  in  the  scale  the  animal  soul  ex- 
presses itself  more  and  more  completely,  because  it  has  better 
instruments  for  its  use  and  thus  requires  fewer  individuals  to 
express  it.  Thus  the  functions  and  attributes  of  the  animal 
soul  are  expressed  in  an  ascending  scale  until  instinct  is 
reached.  When  instinct  in  its  fullness  is  expressed — instinct 
being  the  highest  vibration  the  animal  soul  is  capable  of  ex- 


150  LETTERS  FROM  THE  TEACHER. 

pressing — the  Divine  Spark  begins  to  overshadow  the  animal. 
In  this  way  instinct  gradually  melts  into  and  is  overlapped  by 
intelligence  and  reason  which,  in  turn,  reach  their  highest  note 
in  intuition.  Animals  which  function  in  the  higher  animal 
kingdoms  have  the  animal  soul  expressed  in  its  fullness  and 
in  addition  have  the  overshadowing  of  the  Divine  Spark.  This 
overshadowing,  however,  is  not  individualized,  many  animals 
being  overshadowed  by  the  one  Ego.  For  this  reason  they 
may,  and  often  do,  exhibit  traits  that  make  them  more  lovable 
than  many  human  beings.  This  is  because  they  are  perfect 
animals,  overshadowed  and  willingly  led  and  guided  by  a 
Divine  Ego,  still  they  have  not  as  yet  been  given  the  portion 
of  goods  that  will  come  to  them  from  their  Father.  In  short 
animals  are  our  younger  brothers.  They  are  in  the  kinder- 
garten of  life,  acting  in  accordance  with  the  overshadowing 
Law  of  Evolution  without  free-will  to  disobey.  If  they  develop 
vicious  traits,  as  some  few  do,  still  they  are  not  responsible, 
for  such  traits  are  imparted  to  or  taught  them  by  man  through 
cruel  treatment  or  through  man's  evil  thought  emanations. 
Of  themselves  they  cannot  sin,  for  they  are  but  following  the 
Law  of  Evolution  and,  like  the  flowers,  are  expressing  the 
fullness  of  their  being. 

At  the  time  of  death  the  overshadowing  Ego  gathers  to- 
gether all  the  animal  atoms  composing  all  the  individuals  that 
came  under  its  particular  ray  and  builds  a  more  perfect  animal 
structure  which  will  possess,  as  inherent  faculties,  all  the  ex- 
perience which  it  has  gained  in  previous  animal  lives.  This  has 
been  demonstrated  by  the  experiments  of  certain  scientific  bot- 
anists who  have  found  that  new  species  do  not  develop  or 
evolve  gradually  from  already  existing  types,  but  spring  into 
being  suddenly  and  without  warning  in  one  generation. 

This  assimilation  and  advanced  expression  goes  on  until 
the  Ego  has  built  up  an  organism  capable  of  expressing  the 
Divine,  i.  e.  is  made  in  the  image  of  God  and  capable  of  contain- 
ing a  Spark  of  the  Divine— the  Human.  At  this  point  the  guid- 
ing reins  are  given  into  the  hands  of  the  animal-man.  He  now 
has  free-will  and  a  mind  capable  of  reasoning  and  thinking  as 
an  individual.  He  can  choose  to  walk  in  the  light,  guided  by 
his  Father-in-heaven,  or  he  can  refuse  and  pay  the  penalty. 
The  choice  is  his  and  he  is  also  responsible  for  his  choice.  He 
has  become  a  creator  and  from  hence  forth  he  is  Lord  over  the 
lower  kingdoms;  by  his  thoughts  he  can  lift  them  up  or  debase 


MISCELLANEOUS.  151 

them.  Because  of  this  power  and  the  fact  that  ALL  EVIL  IS 
THE  RESULT  OF  MAN'S  DISOBEDIENCE— not  disobedi- 
ence to  the  commands  of  any  higher  Being,  but  to  The  Law — he 
must  suffer  from  evil  conditions  until  he  has  learned  con- 
sciously  to  follow  and  obey  The  Law  of  his  being  just  as,  while 
an  animal,  he  obeyed  it  blindly  and  instinctively.  But  it  is  well 
to  remember  that  there  are  no  sudden  jumps  from  one  kingdom 
to  another.  The  individualization  of  the  animal-man  takes 
place  gradually;  many  of  the  lower  types  of  savages  having  not 
yet  reached  complete  individualization — they  are  more  indi- 
vidualized than  the  higher  animals,  but  are  not  entirely  person- 
alized. Since  the  animals  take  their  savagery  from  man,  when 
he  is  just  entering  the  human  kingdom  animal-man  must  ex- 
press that  savagery  in  human  form  and  work  through  it  to 
higher  things. 

As  to  the  immortality  of  animals,  nothing  that  lives  can 
die.  The  higher  animal,  such  as  the  horse,  dog  and  elephant,  is 
gradually  merged  into  a  human  animal  (does  not  BECOME 
one).  All  perfected  consciousness,  with  its  overshadowing 
Divinity,  must  go  on  evolving  until  a  better  vehicle  of  expres- 
sion is  obtained.  All  life  is  immortal,  but  conscious  immor- 
tality can  only  be  obtained  by  merging  the  human  into  the  Di- 
vine as  the  animal  is  merged  into  the  human.  As  man  is  ani- 
mal, but  more  than  animal,  so  is  the  Divine  man,  but  more  than 
man.  A  good  illustration  of  this  law  of  individualization  is 
found  in  the  rose.  In  its  wild  state  a  rose  has  but  a  single  row 
of  petals,  five  in  number.  It  grows  and  blossoms  in  great  pro- 
fusion, often  covering  a  whole  hill-side,  yet,  while  the  whole 
mass  will  perfume  the  air  all  around,  a  single  rose,  when 
plucked,  will  seemingly  be  devoid  of  perfume  and  have  little 
beauty,  its  few  petals  dropping  almost  immediately.  As  the 
rose  is  cultivated,  however,  it  gains  more  petals,  gives  out  more 
perfume  and  requires  fewer  bushes  to  grow  on  until,  in  the 
American  Beauty  rose,  the  perfection  of  its  culture  is  reached, 
it  requiring  a  whole  bush  to  produce  one  perfect  flower.  But 
this  one  flower  can  give  out  as  much  perfume  as  the  whole  hill- 
side of  wild  roses  gave  out.  It  has  as  many  petals,  all  securely 
fastened  together,  and  will  last  many  times  longer  than  its 
wild  sister  after  being  plucked.  In  short,  it  has  evolved  the 
Soul  of  the  Rose — the  Rose  being  the  highest  type  of  flower. 
You  will  find  this  law  illustrated  in  all  Nature,  from  grass, 


152  LETTERS  FfcOM  THE  TEACHER. 

which  grows  in  many  blades,  up  to  the  oak.  Also  from  the 
baser  minerals  up  to  gold. 

Understanding  this  Law  of  Evolution  you  can  learn  many 
lessons  from  the  animals,  especially  those  of  love,  fidelity,  faith- 
fulness and  forgiveness  of  injury  and  ill-treatment.  Bear  in 
mind  that  they  are  doing  instinctively  what  man  must  learn  to 
do  consciously  and  of  his  own  free-will.  They  are  really  ex- 
amples for  man  to  follow ;  for  Nature  has  already  worked  out 
and  placed  before  his  eyes  every  problem  that  confronts  him. 

A  horse  or  dog  may  have  many  incarnations  as  a  horse  or 
dog  so  you  may  have  been  associated  with  them  as  horses  or 
dogs  in  past  lives.  This  is  frequently  illustrated  by  a  dog  sud- 
denly seeing  a  man  and  persistently  following  him  thereafter ; 
he  has  simply  recognized  a  former  master  and  refuses  to  be 
driven  away  by  the  fact  that  the  recognition  is  not  mutual.  A 
look  into  the  speaking  eyes  of  such  a  dog  will  convince  you  that 
he  really  does  recognize  you  and  cannot  understand  why  you 
fail  to  give  him  the  accustomed  welcome.  The  sorrow  expressed 
is  most  pathetic  if  you  persist  in  driving  such  a  dog  away. 

One  more  point.  It  is  possible  for  such  animals  to  be  over- 
shadowed by  the  same  Divine  Spark  that  overshadows  you,  and 
in  such  cases  you  will  never  lose  your  animal  companions,  for 
when  they  are  more  than  animal  you  will  be  more  than  man. 

Your  difficulty  arises  from  the  fact  that  what  you  refer  to 
as  the  Divine  Spark  is  in  reality  but  Divine  Essence  or  Divine 
Creative  Force  evolving  through  the  kingdoms.  The  Divine 
Spark  is  this  force  not  universally  disseminated  throughout 
the  universe,  but  personalized. 

June    1st,    1908. 

"Why  is  it  that  in  the  Teachings  of  THE  ORDER  OF 
THE  15  we  hear  nothing  about  'loyalty  to  leaders'  when  that 
is  such  a  prominent  feature  of  many  occult  societies?  Is  it 
not  true  that  loyalty  to  leaders  is  the  first  and  most  important 
duty  of  the  Neophyte?" 

You  are  quite  right  in  your  idea  that  loyalty  is  the  first 
step  and,  we  might  say,  the  most  important  TO  YOUR  OWN 
SOUL  were  there  any  degrees  of  importance  when  every  step 
must  be  faithfully  taken. 

Loyalty,  however,  must  not  be  a  blind  following,  but  must 
be  tempered  with  Wisdom  and  must  be  the  result  of  an  in- 
tuitive understanding  of  the  guidance  given  by  the  Higher 


MISCELLANEOUS.  153 

Self.  Many  a  leader  has  passed  out  of  the  physical  body  leav- 
ing his  or  her  work  to  be  wrecked  in  the  quicksands  of  mis- 
taken zeal  by  a  misunderstanding  of  this  law. 

A  leader  is  one  who  goes  ahead.  Necessarily  such  an  one 
is  subjected  to  dangers  and  pitfalls  which  those  who  follow 
may  have  the  power  to  see.  We  think  a  little  thought  will  con- 
vince you  that  loyalty  demands  that  the  followers,  at  least  the 
more  intuittional,  must  guard  the  leader  by  watching  out  for 
ambushed  enemies  and  warn  the  leader  of  danger  when  signs 
of  ambition,  selfishness,  self -righteousness,  or  any  compromise 
with  truth  or  purity  begin  to  show  themselves.  And  thus,  by 
the  power  of  their  developed  intuition  and  by  their  true  love 
and  sympathy,  prove  a  body-guard  in  the  real  sense  of  the 
word,  while  the  main  body  of  followers  should  have  the  person- 
ality of  the  leader  thrust  upon  them  as  little  as  possible. 

Followers  should  be  faithful  and  loyal  to  the  teachings 
rather  than  to  the  personality  of  the  leader;  for  the  Great  Law 
will  take  care  of  all,  and  no  matter  how  much  loyalty  is  de- 
manded by  a  leader,  he  or  she  will  receive  just  as  much  as  he 
or  she  deserves.  The  Law  says,  "Give  and  it  shall  be  given 
unto  you,"  and  this  will  be  in  exact  justice,  not  only  in  what 
measure,  but  also  in  what  kind.  If  a  leader  gives  his  or  her 
followers  love,  sympathy  and  devotion,  forgetting  self  and 
striving  only  to  lead  the  way  and  make  straight  the  Path  for 
those  who  follow,  he  or  she  will  receive  back  again  from  the 
main  body  of  followers  true  loyalty  and  love,  and  the  few  who 
repay  with  selfishness  and  criticism  the  love-force  will  drop 
from  the  ranks  with  scarcely  a  ripple. 


154  APPENDIX. 

MORNING  PRAYER. 

I  have  within  me  the  power  of  The  Christ. 
I  can  conquer  all  that  comes  to  me  today. 
I  am  strong  enough  to  bear  every  trial  and 

accept  every  joy,  and  say, 
"Thy  will  be  done." 

PRAYER   OF   CONSECRATION. 

We,  recognizing  the  omnipotent  power  of  the  Great  Cre- 
ative Force,  do  make  most  solemn  covenant  to  present  our 
whole  selves,  our  bodies,  our  minds,  our  Souls,  a  living  sacrifice 
to  Thee. 

We  yield  all  personal  desires  unto  the  one  Great  Desire,  to 
be  used  as  instruments  to  create  a  center  through  which  The 
Lodge  can  work. 

Recognizing  the  oneness  of  Thine  All-pervading  Force,  we 
give  back  to  Thee,  for  Thy  use,  all  that  we  possess,  and  by  the 
power  of  The  Living  Christ,  demand  that  all  obstacles  be  re- 
moved, and  Thy  work  be  speedily  established  in  perfect  justice. 

HEALING  PRAYER. 

0  thou  loving  and  helpful  Master  Jesus !  Thou  who  gavest 
to  Thy  disciples  power  to  heal  the  sick ! 

We,  recognizing  Thee,  and  realizing  Thy  divine  presence 
with  us,  ask  Thee  to  lay  Thy  hands  upon  us  in  healing  love. 

Cleanse  us  from  all  our  sins,  and  by  the  divine  power  of 
Omnipotent  Life,  drive  out  the  atoms  of  inharmony  and  dis- 
ease, and  fill  our  bodies  full  to  overflowing  with  Life,  and  Love, 
and  Purity. 


APPENDIX.  155 

ANNOUNCEMENT 

"BEHOLD,   I   BRING  UNTO   YOU   GOOD   TIDINGS  OF 
GREAT  JOY." 

To  all  students  of  the  higher  life  who  truly  desire  to  progress, 
and  who  wish  the  opportunity  of  coming  into  closer  personal  touch 
with  those  Masters  of  Wisdom  who  through  all  ages  have  been  the 
Teachers,  Guides  and  Elder  Brothers  of  humanity,  there  comes  the 
following  message: 

In  accordance  with  the  geometrical  design  of  the  universe,  a  point 
is  now  reached  when  an  advanced  Order  from  the  Great  White  Lodge 
can  be  established  upon  the  earth  plane.  This  Order  is  not  an  organi- 
zation in  the  general  acceptation  of  the  term,  NOR  IS  IT  CON- 
NECTED EITHER  WITH  THE  OUTER  OR  INNER  WORK 
OF  ANY  OCCULT  ORGANIZATION  NOW  IN  EXISTENCE  ON 
THE  PHYSICAL  PLANE.  IT  IS  A  NEW  AND  DIRECT  OUT- 
PUT FROM  THE  GREAT  WHITE  LODGE.  According  to  its 
fundamental  principles,  only  such  earnest  students  can  be  admitted 
to  it  as  have  proven  their  devotion  to  the  Masters,  and  have  sent 
out  their  cry  to  Them  for  enlightenment  and  help.  All  such  persons 
are  welcomed  into  this  Order,  and  such  probationary  lessons  will  be 
sent  them,  from  time  to  time,  as  will  afford  them  an  opportunity  of 
coming  into  close  fellowship  and  conscious  communication  with  the 
Masters  of  Wisdom.  Understand  this  point  clearly.  It  will  be  ONLY 
THROUGH  YOUR  OWN  INDIVIDUAL  EFFORT,  your  attitude 
of  soul,  and  the  character  of  your  life  that  will  enable  YOU  TO 
PLACE  YOURSELF  in  personal,  conscious  touch  with  the  Masters. 
IT  DEPENDS  UPON  NO  PERSONALITY  BUT  YOUR  OWN. 

No  vows,  or  pledges,  are  asked  of  you,  for  only  those  are  eligible 
to  this  Order  who  have  voluntarily  given  up  their  lives  to  the  higher 
law,  and  have  already  vowed  allegiance  to  their  own  Higher  Self. 
Therefore,  this  Order  offers  the  opportunity  of  fulfilling  past  vows 
and  no  new  ones  are  required.  Membership  in  this  Order  will  not 
conflict  with  any  duties  of  life,  or  with  membership  in  other  organi- 
zations, or  membership  in  any  religious  denomination. 

In  such  an  Order  dues,  as  such,  would  be  impossible,  but  as  the 
lessons  must  be  printed  and  mailed,  it  is  expected  that  all  who  desire 
the  help  will  voluntarily  aid  the  work  by  contributions  in  accordance 
with  their  ability  and  the  law  of  exact  justice.  It  is  a  primal  law 


156  APPENDIX. 

of  occultism  that,  no  matter  how  much  is  set  before  you,  you  are 
able  to  assimilate  (get)  in  exact  ratio  with  the  spirit  of  helping  others 
that  you  display.  "Give  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you;  good  measure, 
pressed  down  and  shaken  together,  and  running  over — for  with  the 
same  measure  that  ye  mete  withal,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again." 
Only  by  such  co-operation  can  the  work  be  carried  on. 

If  you  are  interested  in  this  matter  and  would  like  to  hear  further 
concerning  it,  we  would  be  glad  to  have  you  address  the  Secretary, 
who  will  refer  your  letter  for  reply,  and  forward  the  same  to  you 
as  soon  as  received.  In  your  letter  we  would  be  pleased  to  have  you 
tell  something  of  your  spiritual  life,  and  your  desires  as  to  further 
study,  together  with  a  brief  description  of  any  remarkable  visions, 
dreams  or  psychic  experiences  that  you  may  have  had  recently. 

Address  replies  to 
P.  O.  Box  607,  F,  HOMER  CURTISS,  M.  D., 

Denver,  Colo.,  U.  S.  A. 


APPENDIX.  157 

CIRCULAR    OF    INFORMATION 

In  response  to  many  requests  for  information  concerning  this 
new  Order,  we  announce  that  it  is  a  continuation  of  the  work  started 
by  the  Masters  of  the  Great  White  Lodge,  through  Madame  Blavatsky, 
in  1875,  under  the  name  of  the  Theosophical  Society.  But  as  no 
organization  can  contain  the  wisdom  of  The  Lodge  that  Society 
was  but  a  phase  of  the  work,  and  a  means  of  propagating  the  seed 
that  has  now  been  sown  broadcast  over  the  world.  Many  students 
have  outgrown  organizations,  having  found  them  too  narrow  and 
their  necessary  limitations  too  binding.  This  is  but  a  natural  feature 
of  growth  and  again  proves  the  great  law  "As  above,  so  below;"  just 
as  the  seed,  when  first  planted,  is  confined  in  a  protective  sheath 
from  which,  in  the  process  of  growth,  it  will  burst  forth. 

One  of  the  chief  objects  of  this  Movement  is  to  correlate  advanced 
theosophical  teachings  with  the  orthodox  Christian  teachings;  to  form 
a  neutral  ground  where  both  can  meet  and  recognize  Truth.  On  this 
account  we  may  disappoint  many  intellectual  theosophists,  for  our 
language  will  purposely  be  made  simple,  and  the  great  truths  which 
we  set  forth  will  be  so  stated  as  to  appeal  to  minds  schooled  in 
Western  religious  thought.  Our  great  object  is  to  enable  all  sections 
of  spiritual  seekers,  New  Thought,  Spiritualism,  Theosophy,  Christian- 
ity, in  fact  all  lovers  of  Truth,  to  draw  together  at  the  heart  centre. 
THIS  IS  A  NECESSARY  PREPARATION  FOR  THE  NEAR 
ADVENT  OF  THE  AVATAR;  for  the  good  news  of  His  quick 
coming  must  be  given  "unto  all  people,"  not  to  a  few  intellectual 
thinkers.  All  schools  of  spiritual  thought  need  this  preparation. 

In  this  present  age  the  Masters  must  work  through  human 
agencies,  and  the  moment  that  you  determine  to  give  of  yourself  and 
your  worldly  substance,  you  become  a  recognized  agent  of  The  Lodge. 

All  organizations  and  movements  which  receive  help  from  The 
Lodge,  have  their  own  particular  work  to  do.  Whether  they  have 
succeeded  in  the  task  set  before  them,  or  whether  they  have  failed, 
is  clearly  shown  by  their  results.  They  all  receive  help  in  exact  pro- 
portion to  the  degree  that  they  accomplish  their  task  and  make 
themselves  pure  channels  through  which  the  force  can  be  poured. 
We  criticise  no  one,  and  we  make  no  all-inclusive  claims.  Results 
alone  will  show  who  are  back  of  us. 

As  we  explain  in  our  first  lesson  this  is  an  Order  into  which 
certain  Souls  will  be  drawn,  but  not  necessarily  all  who  ask  for  help, 
although  all  will  be  helped  to  grow  toward  that  point.  When  ad- 


158  APPENDIX. 

mission  into  the  Order  occurs  there  will  be  an  outward  recognition, 
and  obligations,  but  no  obligations,  except  the  privacy  of  papers,  are 
required  before  that  time. 

To  each  one  who  expresses  a  desire  to  become  one  of  us  we 
plan  to  send  a  lesson  each  month.  These  lessons  will  be  private, 
and  in  many  cases  personal,  therefore  we  will  request  that,  when 
marked  "private,"  they  be  not  revealed  to  others.  All  papers  will 
be  private,  but  those  not  specially  marked  "private"  may  be  shown 
to  interested  friends  at  your  discretion.  They  are  not,  however,  to 
be  shown  promiscuously  or  left  lying  around  to  be  seen  by  everyone. 

A  SIMPLE  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  YOUR  DESIRE  TO 
STUDY  WITH  US  and  a  realization  of  your  obligation  to  help  us 
in  return  is  all  that  is  necessary.  The  help  we  ask  is  just  what  your 
conscience  tells  you  is  the  right  and  proper  thing  to  do  in  accordance 
with  your  worldly  means.  Many  will  be  unable  to  give  financial  aid 
and  from  those  we  ask  love  and  helpful  thoughts.  If  we  DEMAND- 
ED financial  aid  we  would  at  once  put  ourselves  outside  the  radius 
of  The  Lodge  force,  therefore  we  simply  trust  and  believe  that  the 
means  to  print  and  distribute  these  lessons,  and  carry  on  the  work, 
will  be  forthcoming.  All  who  hear  the  call  in  their  hearts  will  be 
ready  and  willing  to  help.  In  this  connection  we  may  state  that 
there  are  no  persons  to  be  supported  and  no  salaries  to  officers  to 
be  paid  out  of  the  funds. 

All  contributions,  both  large  and  small,  will  be  gratefully  received 
and  promptly  acknowledged.  The  ones  who  give  ten  cents  because 
they  love  the  Master's  work  may  bring  to  themselves  a  greater  bless- 
ing than  those  who  might  give  dollars  without  any  thought  or  sac- 
rifice. No  matter  what  amount  given,  the  real  offering  is  the  loving 
desire  to  help.  "Let  every  man  do  according  as  he  is  disposed  in 
his  heart,  not  grudgingly,  or  of  necessity,  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful 
giver." 

PLEASE  STUDY  THIS  CIRCULAR  CAREFULLY,  AS  IT 
WILL  SAVE  YOU  ASKING  MANY  USELESS  QUESTIONS 
ABOUT  MATTERS  ALREADY  DISTINCTLY  STATED.  YOU 
WILL  THUS  SAVE  US  MUCH  VALUABLE  TIME  AND  UN- 
NECESSARY CORRESPONDENCE. 


APPENDIX.  159 

ORGANIZATIONS. 

Altho  we  emphasized  our  relation  to  organizations  in  our  first 
circular  by  placing  the  statement  in  italics,  yet  it  seems  to  have  been 
overlooked  by  many.  Therefore  we  will  restate  our  position  more 
fully  herewith,  so  that  in  the  future  there  may  be  no  question  as  to 
the  significance  of  this  Movement  and  its  relation  to  all  others. 

This  Movement  is  not  an  organization  because  it  has  no  consti- 
tution or  by-laws,  no  officers  (except  the  Secretary),  requires  no 
pledges  and  no  dues,  and  does  not  restrict  a  member's  activity  in 
any  society  or  organization.  Therefore  it  is  not  antagonistic  to  any 
existing  organization  that  is  helping  humanity,  but  permits  perfect 
freedom.  All  that  is  necessary  for  membership  is  to  express  a  sin- 
cere desire  for  help  in  your  efforts  for  spiritual  growth. 

Since  the  treatment  accorded  to  all  former  agents  selected  by 
The  Lodge  has  proved  conclusively  that  humanity  is  not  yet  ready 
to  be  entrusted  with  the  knowledge  of  the  personalities  of  the  agents 
through  whom  these  teachings  are  given,  it  has  been  considered  best 
that,  on  this  occasion,  they  remain  incognito;  for  the  agents  are  of 
no  more  importance,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  work,  than  would 
be  a  pipe  through  which  a  stream  of  pure  water  is  conveyed  into  a 
parched  and  thirsty  land.  Those  who  are  athirst  for  the  Living 
Waters  will  drink  from  the  stream,  those  who  are  not  will  pass  it  by. 

AS   TO    OTHER   MOVEMENTS. 

We  can  but  reiterate  that  while  WE  ARE  NOT  CONNECTED, 
IN  ANY  WAY,  WITH  THE  OUTER  AND  INNER  WORK  OF 
ANY  ORGANIZATION  NOW  ON  THE  EARTH  PLANE,  never- 
theless we  stand  for  Truth  wherever  found,  our  motto  being,  "By 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

Under  no  circumstance  do  we  criticize  any.  If  an  organization, 
society  or  movement  has  helped  one  Soul  to  take  one  step  upon  The 
Path  to  Mastery  it  has  not  wrought  in  vain.  The  fact  that  a  teaching 
attracts  and  helps  you  is  evidence  that  it  contains  the  lesson  needed 
by  you  for  the  step  you  are  taking.  The  fact  that  a  movement  no 
longer  appeals  to  you,  no  matter  how  helpful  it  may  be  to  others, 
is  evidence  either  that  your  Soul  has  learned  the  lessons  that  move- 
ment had  for  you  —  even  though  not  mastered  intellectually  —  or  that 
the  movement,  no  matter  how  beautifully  conceived  and  launched, 
has  become  tainted  with  something  that  is  not  helpful,  or  perhaps 
is  distinctly  injurious,  to  your  physical,  mental,  moral  or  spiritual 
growth  ............................  '  .......  ............... 

Each  movement  that  aims  to  help  humanity  has  its  own  place 
and  its  own  work.  Colored  blocks  are  necessary  in  the  kindergarten, 
primers  for  children,  text-books  for  the  training  of  the  mind  in  school 
and  college;  but  when  the  mind  has  been  trained  it  must  then  put 
that  training  to  use  in  a  practical  way;  in  business,  under  the  head 


Our  correspondence  is  so  large  that  we  cannot  answer  letters  immediately,  but 
will  always  endeavor  to  do  so  within  one  week  after  their  receipt. 


160  APPENDIX. 

of  the  firm  or  manager;  in  art,  under  a  great  teacher;  in  spiritual 
things,  under  a  Master  of  Wisdom.  But  remember  that,  because  you 
,are  no  longer  interested  in  the  colored  blocks  or  primers  you  once 
thought  so  beautiful,  you  are  not  to  despise  the  children  who  still 
cling  to  them,  or  find  fault  with  the  teachers  of  the  a  b  c's..  All  have 
their  place,  and  the  children  will  grow  away  from  the  blocks  when 
they  have  learned  their  lessons  just  as  you  have  grown.  Every  up- 
lifting movement  or  teaching  has  its  place  and  has  for  followers 
those  who  need  its  lessons.  The  Master  Jesus  said,  "Whosoever 
shall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of  cold  water 
only  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  in  no 
wise  lose  his  reward!  *  *  *  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it 
unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

AIMS  OF  THIS  MOVEMENT. 

The  great  wave  of  psychicism  now  sweeping  over  the  land  has 
brought  many  students  to  the  point  where  their  inner  faculties  are 
unfolding.  This  is  a  point  of  great  danger,  for  here  the  two  paths — 
the  Right  Hand  and  the  Left  Hand — diverge.  This  Order  may  be 
called  a  wayside  House  of  Rest,  placed  at  the  point  of  divergence 
of  the  paths,  at  whose  door  every  pilgrim  who  knocks  finds  welcome, 
and  within  rest,  sympathy,  understanding  and  encouragement,  and 
also  a  guide  to  lead  him  safely  past  the  many  dangers  and  pitfalls 
that  surround  the  entrance  to  the  Right  Hand  Path.  This  is  a  per- 
sonal work  which  cannot  be  accomplished  by  any  organization  bound 
by  set  rules. 

Although  the  Christian  Bible  is  the  greatest  occult  book  ever 
given  to  humanity — for  it  contains  not  only  the  wisdom  of  all  prior 
scriptures,  but  also  a  prophecy  of  the  future,  yet  it  is  the  least  under- 
stood of  any  scripture,  because  heretofore  all  efforts  to  explain  it 
have  been  upon  a  literal,  intellectual,  material  and  historical  basis 
and  not  from  the  standpoint  of  its  spiritual  symbology  and  esoteric 
meaning.  The  Christian  religion  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be 
the  greatest  factor  in  modern  civilization,  and  the  time  has  come  for 
it  to  take  an  advanced  step  through  an  understanding  of  the  esoteric 
meaning  of  its  sacred  mysteries1,  and  by  a  relization  that  its  teach- 
ings symbolize  the  same  vital  truths  common  to  all  religions,  thus 
taking  the  first  step  on  the  return  journey  to  the  one  Wisdom- 
Religion. 

As  all  religions,  sects  and  creeds  contain  at  least  a  germ  of 
Truth,  our  aim  is  to  help  each  one  to  find  that  germ  IN  THEIR 
OWN  TEACHINGS,  and  purify  and  develop  it  into  the  Tree  of 
Life  in  their  own  garden. 

The  Christian  missionaries  are  censured  by  many  for  forcing 
what,  to  their  minds,  is  a  superior  form  of  truth,  upon  people  who 
already  have  a  religion,  the  inner  teachings  of  which  the  mission- 
aries have  not  the  faintest  idea.  At  the  same  time,  those  who  are 


Uesus  said  to  his  initiated  disciples:  "Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the 
mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  unto  them  that  are  without  (i.  e., 
not  initiated)  all  these  things  are  done  in  parables."— -Mark  IV,  11. 


APPENDIX.  161 

thus  criticizing  the  missionaries  are,  in  their  turn,  insisting  that  all 
Christian  people  shall  accept  certain  spiritual  teachings  couched  in 
terms  that  belong  to  another  language  and  another  mode  of  thought. 
If  you  really  wish  to  help  a  people  use  their  language,  and  the  ideas 
and  modes  of  thought  to  which  they  are  accustomed.  You  will  thus 
help  them  to  purify  their  conception  of  Truth  as  expressed  in  their 
own  religion.  THIS  IS  ONE  OF  THE  AIMS  OF  THIS  ORDER; 
TO  BRING  TO  THE  ATTENTION  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PEO- 
PLE, AS  SIMPLY  AS  POSSIBLE,  THE  PEARLS  OF  WISDOM 
IN  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  THE  MASTER  JESUS;  PEARLS 
THAT  HAVE  BEEN  OVERLAID  WITH  WORDY  MISCON- 
CEPTIONS SO  LONG  AS  TO  BE  ALMOST  UNRECOGNIZABLE. 

There  is  a  real  necessity  for  the  various  presentations  of  Truth 
as  given  to  the  world;  for  just  as  the  climate,  flora  and  fauna  of  a 
country,  and  the  language  and  customs  of  its  people,  vary  in  different 
parts  of  the  world,  so  must  Truth  garb  itself  in  habiliments  suited 
to  the  modes  of  thought  of  the  people  to  whom  it  is  given.  There 
is  a  deep  occult  reason  underlying  this  law,  and  St.  Paul  recognized 
it  when  he  said,  "Be  ye  all  things  unto  all  men."  There  comes  a 
time,  however,  in  all  organized  bodies  giving  out  spiritual  teachings 
when  some  students  will  advance  as  far  or  farther  than  the  leaders 
of  the  organization.  And  since  it  is  only  natural  for  such  leaders 
to  assume  that  they  are  more  advanced  than  any  of  their  students, 
inharmony  and  dissatisfaction  or  even  secession  result.  In  the  devel- 
opment of  all  students  a  point  is  reached  where  they  need  the  ad- 
vanced, PERSONAL  instruction  not  of  any  leaders — who  are  them- 
selves but  students — but  of  one  who  has  at  his  command  all  knowl- 
edge and  all  wisdom,  i.  e.,  a  Master  of  Wisdom.1  It  is  in  answer 
to  this  personal  need  that  the  Lodge  of  Masters  has  put  forth 
THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15  at  this  time.  It  comes  as  a  direct 
response  to  the  prayers  of  many,  many  hearts  for  more  light,  love, 
sympathy  and  personal  guidance. 

As  this  continent  is  to  be  the  home  of  a  new  race  which  will 
ultimately  perfect  itself  by  the  survival  and  interblending  of  the  fittest 
of  all  races  now  existing,  so  must  its  religious  thought  be  blended 
and  purified  so  that  it  may  emerge  as  a  pure  ray  which  has  gathered 
unto  itself  the  force  from  all  its  sub-rays. 

THE  ORDER  OF  THE  15  is  put  forth  in  an  effort  to  awaken 
The  Christ  Love  in  the  hearts  of  men,  rather  than  to  cater  to  the  in- 
tellect or  the  desire  for  psychic  powers;  for  only  those  who  can  cor- 
relate with  The  Christ  power  can  be  gathered  together  to  form  a 
nucleus  in  which  this  Power  can  manifest  on  earth.  The  aim  of  this 
Movement  is  especially  to  help  all  Christian  people  to  find  the  deep, 
underlying,  vital  truths  common  to  all  religions  in  their  own,  and 
thus  truly,  and  in  the  only  way  possible,  prepare  for  an  Universal 
Brotherhood  on  earth  in  which  each  Soul  shall  find  the  same  vital 


1  It  is  understood,  of  course,  that  the  Secretary  does  not  answer  the  letters  or 
compose  the  teachings.  He  is  merely  the  Secretary  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  word. 


162  APPENDIX. 

truths  spoken  in  his  own  language,  i.  e.,  couched  and  taught  in  terms 
or  the  religion  in  which  he  was  born.  V 

FINANCIAL   OBLIGATIONS. 

Of  course  this  Movement  cannot  be  carried  on  without  financial 
support,  for  the  Law  of  Justice  permits  humanity  to  be  helped  only 
to  the  extent  that,  through  its  own  efforts,  it  makes  it  possible  for 
the  help  to  reach  it.  If  you  feel  an  inner  urge  to  study  with  us,  and 
if  you  find  that  the  lessons  help  you,  you  will  naturally  desire  to  help 
make  it  possible  for  other  Souls  to  receive  the  same  help.  Therefore 
out  of  pure  love  and  a  desire  to  help  others  you  will  give  as  much 
as  you  can  afford.  Let  all  give  according  to  their  ability.2 


1  See   Acts   II,  6. 

2  See  "Circular  of  Information"  and  "Special  Notice." 

Extra  copies   of  this   circular  may   be  had   by   applying:   to   the   Secretary, 
Box   607,   Denver,    Colo.,    IT.    S.    A. 


Fourteen  Lessons  in  Yogi  Philos- 
ophy &   Oriental  Occultism 


By    YOGI     RAMACHARAKA. 

Author  of  ''Science  of  Breath/'  "Hatha  Yoga/'  &c. 


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Therefore,  in  the  Hall  of  Learning,  when  he  is  capable  ^3 
of  entering  there,  the  disciple  will  always  find  the 
Master."  —  Light  on  the  Path. 


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